The Surviving Light
by Whiskers10
Summary: On board the original Death Star, the rematch between Darth Vader and ObiWan Kenobi ends much differently than it originally did...
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars, George Lucas does. I also don't own the characters, they are collected from both the movies and various EU sources.

**Chapter I**

The figure slowly walked through the metallic halls of the mimicry of a planet, his lightsaber in hand, each step bringing him closer to his destiny. Intense mental concentration altered the perceptions of every Imperial that saw him, making him appear to be a lowly officer to their eyes. Yet not even long-dead Nejaa Halcyon could disguise his appearance to the man he was about to face, the figure thought. The dark figure would not see the young officer, but would see an aged enemy ravaged by years of desert life. An enemy not seen for nearly twenty years. In his mind, the aged Jedi could faintly smell the sulfurous air of Mustafar and feel the heat rising off of the lava floes. There was no doubt that his opponent would remember their last encounter far too well.

Obi-Wan Kenobi rounded a corner as he moved towards the hangar containing the Corellian transport that he had hired only a few days ago. He could hear the faint hum of an ignited lightsaber, nearly masking the mechanical breathing he had heard in various HoloNet broadcasts. The lightsaber's red glow reflected off of the black armor of it's wielder, black gloves that covered metallic prosthetics, the dark durasteel covering his chest, and the monstrous helmet that rested upon the head of what once had been Anakin Skywalker.

Obi-Wan opened his mind up to the Force, scanning the area for any other potential threat. To him, Vader appeared to be a bubbling geyser of rage that was about to erupt any second. In the distance, he could sense two other familiar life signatures. So, he thought, they have found each other.

Darth Vader stood silently as he watched his former Master step into the empty hallway. His robe and tunic were well worn, he seemed to have aged horribly during the past twenty years. There was no doubt that this was going to be an easy victory, despite his own limitations of age and the suit.

The dark figure began walking towards his opponent, lightsaber at his side.

"I've been waiting for you, Obi-Wan. We meet again at last," said Darth Vader as he drew upon his anger. He could feel the Dark Side move down into his body, filling the remnants of his limbs with unnatural power, fueling his desire to see Kenobi dead.

Obi-Wan pulled the hood of his robe off of his head, and then allowed the robe to fall to the ground. He assumed a defensive stance as the black-armored Sith slowly approached him. He could feel the rage inside Vader start to reach its peak, only a fraction of a centimeter remained on the thin line of controlling the rage or letting the rage control him. With the familiar snap-hiss, Obi-Wan's blue lightsaber blade sprang to life in front of him. Obi-Wan's mind began to wonder about the combat capabilities of Vader's new form would be. After their last duel, many prosthetics had to be a part of his new body, and Obi-Wan hoped that Vader had not been given the Grievous treatment. It had been sheer luck when he had defeated the Separatist general at the end of the Clone Wars, and he had no doubt that his aged body could not possibly stand a similar assault.

Holding his lightsaber in one hand, Vader took a swing towards his former Master, sacrificing accuracy for power. With a yellow flash that briefly brightened the room, Vader's red blade was met by Obi-Wan's. So, Vader thought as he brought his 'saber up into an offensive stance, he still knows Soresu… This will be more difficult than I thought.

Obi-Wan slowly circled around the Sith Lord, arms still vibrating with the force of the attack. It had been several years since he had last fought another being with a lightsaber, and the sheer power of Vader's last attack had caught him by surprise, albeit a welcome one. He sent out a few exploratory strikes towards Vader's midsection, hoping to gain a small bit of knowledge to his opponent's strengths and weaknesses in the suit. Vader easily blocked the attacks, and scowled under the mask.

"It is your fault this happened, Master," Vader taunted, hoping to unnerve his opponent. Remembering the words Obi-Wan had said on Mustafar, shortly before… "You failed me, Obi-Wan. You could have prevented this!" Vader swung towards Obi-Wan, a red streak of light appearing in the air as the blade sped towards the head of one of the last Jedi remaining. Obi-Wan's 'saber intercepted the blade at the last second, the crackle of lightsaber blades in contact echoing throughout the hallway.

Vader's taunts had fallen on deaf ears, and he withdrew his lightsaber only to strike again. Obi-Wan easily deflected his next attack, but had more difficulty in blocking the third. A few more attacks like that, Vader thought cruelly, and he shall be no more.

This isn't going to last long if this keeps up, Obi-Wan thought as he looked into the black "eyes" of the mask. I need to stall for more time so the others can reach the ship. He reached deep into the Force, feeling it envelope him. His arms seemed to feel a lot lighter, his legs moved much quicker as the Force enhanced his dexterity. He had felt this feeling many times before, whether he was using Ataru or Soresu, it supplemented his own conditioning much like it had with Dooku all those years ago.

Switching into a hybrid fighting style that was a hybrid of both of his main fighting styles, Obi-Wan launched an attack on Dooku's successor. The first attack took Vader by surprise, forcing the Sith Lord to exert more effort than previously needed to deflect the incoming attack. Using his newfound strength, Obi-Wan easily blocked Vader's angry reply. Sending two quick jabs towards Vader, he slowly backed away towards the hangar bay door.

Raising his lightsaber over his head with both hands gripping the hilt tightly, Vader charged towards his opponent. Sidestepping the charging Sith, Obi-Wan reverted back to his previous work with Ataru, he sent several quick strikes towards the wide-open defenses of Vader. Before Darth Vader could turn around, two quick slices ripped into the fabric of his cape, sending the pieces floating to the floor of the Death Star. As he turned around, he could barely keep the blue blade from sinking into the dark armor he wore. He backed away from his enemy, and raised his blade into an offensive stance yet again. Anger ran through him as he watched Obi-Wan revert back into a fully defensive stance yet again. Vader felt his limbs throb in his mind, the phantom pain he had felt before confronting Dooku for the second time. The fire inside of him ran up his spine, slowly and cruelly mimicking his immolation beside that river of fire on Mustafar. It ran up his neck and into the base of his brain, and with an unnatural sounding scream of rage the line was crossed. Beneath his mask, eyes blazed yellow as the anger consumed him completely.

The Stormtroopers guarding the _Millenium Falcon_ looked on as Lord Vader engaged in an epic lightsaber duel against an old man. The commander motioned for his four troops to move closer to the door, planning to open fire upon the aged Jedi if he ever scored a lucky hit. Across the hangar, the three other intruders and their rescued compatriot watched as their chance to return to their ship opened up.

"Now's our chance, let's go," he whispered as he motioned his head towards the ship. Moving away from the wall last, he quickly sidestepped his way towards the transport keeping his eyes on the Stormtroopers.

Luke Skywalker was halfway to the entrance ramp when he heard a horrible scream emit from far side of the hangar. He turned to look at its source and noticed a man in black armor charge towards… "Ben?" He stopped in his tracks as he watched the demonic looking humanoid send several powerful strikes towards his mentor.

Obi-Wan saw Luke stop in his tracks and watch the duel out of the corner of his eye. He smiled to himself as he deflected several of Vader's angry strikes. It was time to fulfill his destiny, it was time to put the knowledge he had learned from Qui-Gon to the test. He readied himself to become one with the Force, then he saw it. A vital opening in Vader's defenses, a chance to end the battle. It was Vader's fateful leap, Maul's overconfidence all over again. With the Force all but controlling his actions, Obi-Wan exploited the weakness.

Another sidestep avoided an overhead swing, and Obi-Wan sank his lightsaber into the gut of the Sith Lord, feeling a little resistance from the dark armor. Vader's lightsaber dropped to the ground, the red blade extinguishing as it hit the gray floor. The man himself gave a slight cry of pain as he collapsed to the ground. I'm sorry, my friend, Obi-Wan thought as he prepared to end the life of the shell of a man on the floor. He readied a strike, only to turn his blade towards the hangar as the Stormtroopers opened fire.

Seeing his mentor and friend being fired upon caused Luke to aim his stolen E-11 at the nearest Stormtrooper. Pulling the trigger, he watched the red beam of energy slam into its body. Han Solo and Chewbacca watched as the Stormtroopers continued to watch as the man they had thought was an old fool deflect the incoming fire back towards the Stormtroopers. Two of the four remaining had fallen before Han and Chewie joined Luke in attempting to shoot the two troops that still survived. A blast from Han's E-11 took down one while Obi-Wan's lightsaber sliced the head off of another. With a twirl of his lightsaber, Obi-Wan turned the blade off and continued to run towards the ship.

With the Force, Obi-Wan could sense the badly wounded Vader as he slipped into unconsciousness, and he could sense the squad of Stormtroopers as they ran out into the hallway that the duel had just taken place in. Luke watched as half of the squad quickly attended to the wounded enemy, and the other half raised their rifles to fire upon the fleeing party.

"Luke, shoot the door!" he heard Obi-Wan say as he continued to run towards the ship. A few shots impacted on the _Falcon _as the Stormtroopers opened fire. Luke concentrated on the door's control panel, and saw himself hitting it in his mind. Adjusting his aim slightly to make up for the recoil of the weapon, Luke pulled the trigger. The control panel exploded into a fountain of sparks, causing the doors to slam shut on the firing Stormtroopers.

Luke and the others raced into the boarding ramp, and found Leia sitting in the copilot's chair in the cockpit, readying the blaster cannon on the side of the ship in case of a squad of enemy troops ran into the cockpit.

Obi-Wan Kenobi quickly raced onto the boarding ramp of the _Millenium Falcon_ and collapsed against the wall as it closed behind him. He attempted to catch his breath as the fatigue of the previous battle began to set in. As he wiped the sweat off of his brow with the sleeve of his tunic he noticed Luke kneeling beside him.

"Ben, are you all right?" the concerned Jedi initiate asked.

"The droids… are they aboard?" Obi-Wan asked, seemingly ignoring Luke's question. "And the princess?" he asked after receiving a confirmation.

"She's fine, she's in the cockpit with Han and the Wookiee."

Obi-Wan closed his eyes and slowly nodded. A memory over thirty years old came into his mind as he watch his Master Qui-Gon Jinn race up the boarding ramp of the Queen's Transport. The similarities to that moment were almost humorously similar. A small chuckle escaped his lips.

"What's so funny, Ben?"

"I'll tell you later," the Jedi responded as the _Millenium Falcon_ blasted it's way out of the Death Star's hangar bay.


	2. Chapter II

**DarthGladiator45:** I never said he was dead...

**Konig15: **Thanks for the comments!

**MMM73181: **Yikes! A lot of questions. Unfortunately, I can't answer them at this point. You'll have to wait and see.

**WizardJedi: **Thanks!

**Ann Jinn: **I think this answers your first question.

**FallenEagle:** Thanks, I am continuing.

**Lea Nikkaya: **I'm flattered that you say that this is better than the movie, despite my opinion to the contrary.

Author's Note: EU characters! This chapter (and whole story)is swarming with EU characters!

**Chapter II**

"Not this ship, sister!" Han Solo exclaimed at the preposterous idea that was brought up by the princess.

"She is correct, captain," Obi-Wan Kenobi replied as he stood up from the navigator's chair. "If they had wanted to stop us, they would have easily done so."

"I just hope the information on that astromech droid is intact," Leia said as she slumped into her chair. "Either that or the other group was extremely lucky," she added under her breath.

"What's so important about that droid anyway?" Han asked as he looked towards the two passengers in the cockpit with him. "First we run into all sorts of problems over Tatooine because of those two, not to mention that little fiasco back there!"

"He's carrying the full technical readout of that battlestation!" Leia replied, her voice rising in anger. She also stood up from her chair. "I only hope that the analysts back at the base can find a weakness in it."

"Hold on a second," Han retorted. "You're all concerned about us being tracked by the Empire, and then you're leading them straight to your base?"

"It's our only hope," Leia replied as she began to walk out of the cockpit. "A lot of lives were lost to get those plans, I'd rather not let those deaths be in vain." And with those words she walked out of the cockpit and into the lounge of the ship.

Grand Moff Tarkin paced inside of his office aboard the Death Star, a room that despite its spaciousness was the very model of Imperial efficiency. The events of the past few hours ran through his mind, especially the escape of Organa and that Kenobi. He had doubted that Vader's plan of planting a tracking device on the ship would actually work, and now he had no doubt that the Rebels would be on to them. The somewhat less than convincing attempt at stopping the YT-1300 with a small force of TIE Fighters had seemingly done nothing but waste six perfectly good starfighters. He knew the price of failure, he had seen the Emperor and Lord Vader personally execute officers that had failed them. If Lord Vader's plan had failed, as commander of the battlestation he would take the full wrath of the Emperor.

A young officer slowly walked into the room, a datapad clutched tightly in his left hand. He waited patiently at the door until the imposing governor finally allowed him to enter the room.

"Governor Tarkin, we have picked up the tracking beacon placed on the YT-1300 that escaped from us," the officer reported. "They've stopped in the Yavin System, sir, more than likely on one of the moons surrounding Yavin itself."

Tarkin slowly rubbed his chin as he accepted the datapad, a quick glance of the information contained within it was well enough for him. Perhaps Lord Vader's plan wouldn't be such a failure after all, he thought. If they haven't led us on a wild bantha chase.

"Contact the helmsman, lieutenant. Inform him of our new destination."

"Unidentified freighter," the crackling sound from the _Millenium Falcon_'s comm speaker called out. "Please submit your identification at once, this is your final warning!"

"What's taking her so long?" Han Solo muttered as he turned around to look at the entrance to the cockpit. The sensors had already picked a flight of X-wings several kilometers away that were closing towards his ship at a reasonable attack speed.

Maybe we should raise our shields. Chewbacca suggested.

"No, we wouldn't to spook 'em. I know these Rebel types, they're kind of jittery when it comes to intruders," Han replied.

I know that, that's why we should raise shields!

Leia Organa entered the cockpit, seemingly ending the argument over the ship's defense that was happening between the two pilots.

"Let me have the comm," she said as she moved towards the pilot's chair. After Han indicated that the channel was open, the young rebel addressed the pilots. "This is Leia Organa, code Alpha-Dewback-Lambda-41138, this ship is carrying data valuable to the security of the rebellion."

A slight pause occurred before the voice of the pilot came back on. "Organa, this is Red Leader, you are cleared to land. I'm transmitting you coordinates right now, Red Two and Red Five will be your escorts. Nice to see you're still alive, Red Leader out."

Coordinates have arrived, Chewbacca said. All but two of the X-wings have broken off and headed towards the fourth moon of the gas giant.

"Setting course now," Han said as Leia left the cockpit and returned to the lounge, uneager to spend any more time with the greedy smuggler than she had to.

Deep inside a temple in the heart of the Yavin jungle, a decades long slumber was disturbed as the _Millenium Falcon_ landed near the Great Temple. The shade reached out with the Force, trying to reorient himself and determine what had disturbed him. Over a kilometer away, he found them. Five Force-signatures stood out amongst the throng of ordinary people that were on the planet, all with varying degrees of training and potential.

Exar Kun began to observe the most powerful of the signatures first, reveling in the power that the old man had in the Force yet at the same time being reviled by the serene calm that projected out from him. Then, almost as soon as he had begun his observations, it was like he was thrown clear of the presence. How could this be, he thought. The most powerful Sith Lord of all time being bested by a mortal?

He then attempted to closely observe the three presences near the powerful Jedi, yet he encountered a harsh interference that greatly reduced his ability. Yet, he was able to gain one valuable piece of information from two of them. The two, a young boy and a young woman, seemed to radiate a sensation that was familiar to Exar Kun. A sensation that he had felt over twenty years previously. The feeling had come from a young Jedi Padawan with much anger in his heart, far more than his opponent on that delightful day. Exar Kun rejoiced when that Padawan had released his anger upon the pale woman, very nearly killing her in the process. Could it be that these two were somehow related to that Jedi that was so powerful in the Dark Side?

Another presence, this one inside of the Temple, diverted Exar Kun's attention away from those he considered unreachable. This one was perfect, and ready for the final pushes that would corrupt him to the Dark Side completely. Exar Kun sensed much anger and hatred in his target, the desire to see vengeance done for some great grievance that had occurred recently.

Obi-Wan walked off of the _Millenium Falcon_'s boarding ramp and into the humid air of Yavin. He gazed up at the Great Temple, marveling at the giant pyramid structure. Through the Force, he could sense the native wildlife as they went about their daily habits, a predatory lizard immobilized its prey with a loud trilling before pouncing on it, and several aerial species flew above the trees and landed on top of the Great Temple. He could also sense a tremendous evil lurking in the area, an evil that was hard to locate. The presence seemed both close to him as well as everywhere in the area, the only similarity was the Force Spirit of Qui-Gon, yet it seemed twisted and evil.

Ignoring the conversation that was going on between Leia and the various rebels that had greeted them, Obi-Wan closed his eyes and focused on protecting himself as well as the twins from the prying eyes of the entity. He could feel the presence attempt to break through his shield, and then finally give up after a few seconds of futile effort.

"Ben? Is something wrong?" Luke asked after noticing that his mentor was not following the group as they walked into the temple. The group turned around, wondering if anything had gone wrong, and were relieved to see the Jedi Master still standing.

"I'm fine," he replied as he walked towards the group. One of the pilots changed his pace to walk beside him.

"General Kenobi?" the young pilot asked. "I heard you were a Jedi."

"Oh, I do suppose that I was once a Jedi," Obi-Wan replied, sensing that there was more to this pilot that seemed immediately apparent.

"Keyan Farlander," the pilot said as he introduced himself. "When you have the time, I'd like to talk to you about the Force."

Obi-Wan Kenobi nodded.

Luke watched as Ben and one of the pilots talked to each other about the Force, a concept that was still relatively new to him. He looked into the main chamber of the Temple that had been converted into a hangar, seeing several mechanics work on the Incom T-65 X-wings and the Koensayr BTL Y-wings stationed there. The beeps and whistles of several repair droids emerged from the hangar and out into the open air of Yavin. He glanced at the few ships outside of the Temple, a few Corellian YTs and an HWK class ship that were too large to fit in the hangar.

He could hardly contain the excitement. All of his life he had dreamed of adventure, seeing himself in the cockpit of several starfighters and being a hero, and now he was about to make those dreams come true. As he entered the Temple through the large door, he had to wonder what Uncle Owen would say about this. He had to remember that the last words he and his uncle had said to one another were spoken in anger, and he wished that he could have at least apologized for his outburst at the dinner table.

"Leia, thank the Force you're all right," Vanden Willard said as he saw the Alderaanian princess being followed through the Temple by an odd assortment of people. "When we heard about Alderaan we feared the worst."

Leia motioned to the astromech droid that closely followed the young moisture farmer. "Make sure this R2 unit gets to General Dodonna, it contains important information. What about the Danuta mission?" Leia asked the elder military officer.

"They just arrived a few days ago," Willard replied.

"Good," Leia replied. I can only hope that with those two sets a weakness can be found, she thought. Otherwise we're going to have to make a very quick getaway…

The being in the specialized bacta tank seemed less like a human than a machine; numerous tubes ran from the black mask to some machine the human doctor had never even seen before. The medical droids overlooked the vital signs of the injured Darth Vader, carefully monitoring them for any signs of deviation from the norm. Of course, what was the normal for something like Darth Vader? Had the Emperor not insisted on the specialized equipment on board the Death Star, equipment suitable for treating the cybernetic Sith Lord, Lord Vader would have certainly died before they would be able to reach the nearest treatment center. The bacta was already beginning to affect the lightsaber wound that had completely punctured the scarred body, thankfully missing any major organs. In a repair shop, suitable replacement parts were being cobbled together in order to temporarily repair the black armor that so many in the galaxy feared.

The human doctor knew that this would be his last patient, he felt that anyone that had seen Vader in such a human state would surely be executed after his work was done. Ten days of treatment in the bacta tank were scheduled, ten days that the doctor had to live.

"Sir, he's coming out of unconsciousness again," a medical droid reported.

Knowing Tarkin's orders, the doctor relayed them to the droid. "Give him more sedatives, we can't have him destroy the lab in a rage and inadvertently kill himself."

He watched as the droids pushed a button on the console, and saw the vitals go back to where they had been for the past several hours. But the doctor knew that he couldn't keep Vader in that coma forever, the dose that just been administered was slightly higher than the previous one. By his calculations, he would be forced to let Vader awaken in three days, an event coinciding with the arrival of the Death Star at the Rebel base. May the Force have mercy on them, the doctor thought. I don't want to be them when he wakes up…


	3. Chapter III

Chapter III 

The grass of his homeworld crunched beneath his boots as he walked towards the boundaries of a city he had seen many times. He walked through the streets amazed at the emptiness of the main market, a place that was usually bustling with activity. The open-air market next to the open waterway led to the city's spaceport, already several _Lambda­ _and _Sentinel_-class ships could be seen lifting off and landing. The scream of TIE Fighters sounded through the air, sending their observer to scan the sky for a sign of their arrival.

The place was distinctly Imperial, from the ships in the sky to the propaganda posters on the walls. He reached for his blaster pistol, only to find it missing. He was weaponless and defenseless in an Imperial-controlled city, and despite what he felt he continued to make his way to the spaceport. It was if he was being forced to walk towards it.

He arrived at his destination minutes later, the roar of Imperial ships giving away to silence. There was no voice of warning as he looked up at the "decorations" that had recently been added. Anger rose within him as he stared at the bloody head of his father, the lust for revenge upon those who had committed this horrible deed was enflamed at this reminder.

"You want to avenge him, don't you?" asked a voice behind him. "But you can't, can you?"

Kyle Katarn turned around from the gruesome sight and was face-to-face with a middle-aged man. Black hair fell down from his head onto the shoulders of deep-blue armor, on his belt was a strange looking cylindrical device. An evil smirk appeared on Exar Kun's face.

"You're far too weak to do it. You've seen what the Empire can do, what it has in store," Exar Kun taunted his prey.

"I seemed to do pretty well on Danuta," Katarn replied.

"Mere child's play compared to what's to come," Exar replied. "The only way to survive," he pointed to the severed head of Morgan Katarn, "and avenge your father's death is to unlock the power you have within you."

"Why should I trust you?"

"Because, at the moment, there is no one else to trust. I can help you get your revenge upon those who did this, and all of those that didn't trust you in the first place."

Kyle began to say something, but he was quickly interrupted by the Sith Lord.

"Some people trust you here? They send you on what would be a suicide mission to a normal person and tell someone you thought you could trust to kill you at the first sign of a possible defection."

Kyle's mind returned to Danuta, the meeting with an old friend that allowed him to actually get into the room with the plans, and the sight of Jan Ors holding a blaster pistol to his head after the meeting. Of all of the people he thought he could trust…

"They're trying to get rid of you, you're power frightens them."

Exar watched as his prey began to actually think this over, the memories pulled from his head were useful and in a few more meetings like this, he would be ready to fully turn to the Dark Side. Then, the scenery of Baron's Hed faded into the jungles of Yavin. Exar looked angrily around his location, searching for the reason he had been banished once again. Had the mortal Jedi forced him from his target yet again?

"It was a nice touch, really," said a voice from within the jungle, "the whole 'power frightens them' bit. There is a large problem with that being one big lie, however…"

"Show yourself," Exar Kun ordered.

A man of about 60 stepped out of the jungle and into the clearing, his hair was brown with streaks of gray showing and he wore the traditional robes of a Jedi.

"It's amazing to see you," the spectral form of Qui-Gon Jinn said to Exar Kun, "I had heard rumors that the Sith had a power similar to the one I rediscovered. Of course, it is extremely limited isn't it?" Exar Kun's face contorted in anger as the Jedi continued. "Anchored to a specific place, like this planet, 'living' an eternity filled with anger."

"I achieved immortality," Exar Kun screamed at the Jedi spirit in front of him. "And it will be possible for me to be reborn!"

"A foolish dream that will never happen," Qui-Gon said.

"You seem awfully confident in your abilities, Jedi," Exar snarled. "I've been plotting my revenge for 4,000 years, do you think I'd let something like you interfere?"

Qui-Gon concentrated upon the Sith Spirit in front of him, sending out waves of light-side energy towards the evil being. Exar Kun's image flickered for a moment, twisting and contorting, before finally returning to normal. An evil grin appeared on his face.

"You're far too weak, Jedi. This conversation is over." Exar Kun turned his back to his spiritual adversary and walked towards his temple. Halfway down the trail, he turned back. "I will not fail in my mission, Jedi. Several Jedi more powerful than you couldn't stop me. It will take more than you could ever do to defeat me…"

"Concentrate, Luke. See the stone levitate in your mind," Obi-Wan instructed as he paced through an open area in the Temple. He watched as his two students tried their best to lift the 15-kg stone in front of them. He smiled to himself about what Yoda would say about their efforts. They would probably succeed if they stopped _trying_ so hard to lift the stone and actually lift it. Both of them had great success with smaller weights, but now they were struggling.

Luke followed Ben's advice and concentrated further on the task assigned for him. He watched as the large rock began to shake on the floor before raising off of the floor several centimeters. Luke's eyes widened as he saw what he was doing, and continued focusing on keeping the large rock above the ground. His excitement proved too much a few seconds later as the exhilaration of his accomplishment broke his concentration, the large stone fell to the ground, the sound echoing throughout the room. The sound also disturbed Keyan's concentration, ending the shaking of the rock soon after it began.

Later that evening, Obi-Wan sat meditating inside of his private quarters. The sun of Yavin had already set, and the sounds of the nocturnal predators stalking their prey could be heard.

"So, that presence I sensed yesterday. You've found out what it is?"

_Yes, _a voice replied. _It is the spirit of a long dead Sith Lord by the name of Exar Kun._

"So, the Sith can do as you can and I will?" Obi-Wan asked. He listened as his former Master explained to him all that he knew about the Sith version of the ability, the limitations, and the dangers that could happen.

_I had first believed that it was not possible,_ Qui-Gon replied. _However, it seems that I have been proven wrong._

"You said Exar was trying to corrupt someone, did he succeed?"

I was able to stop Exar from haunting him, but his destiny is his own. 

"Is there anyway to defeat him?" Obi-Wan asked.

_I'm trying to find out. I was able to do some slight damage to him, but I wasn't strong enough._

"May the Force be with you, Qui-Gon."

_And may it be with you and you're students._

The briefing room was filled with the best pilots the Rebellion could spare, along with a few guests. Luke Skywalker sat in an empty seat next to a brown-haired Corellian pilot, excited that Biggs and Obi-Wan's vouching had gotten him into the battle, and since the T-65 X-wing had similar controls to the T-16, Keyan Farlander had loaned him his X-wing. Along the walls of the room stood various personnel, including Leia Organa and Obi-Wan. The idle chatter of the pilots turned into silence as General Dodonna entered the war room, carrying with him a code cylinder. He walked up to the computer console at the front of the room and began the presentation.

"The battlestation is geared towards a large scale assault, their point-defense weapons are formidable, but not as concentrated as they should be." The computer screen showed the battlestation in a simple 2D image, the spherical station was split in half by an equatorial trench and its Northern Hemisphere was cratered by what they assumed was the actual superlaser. General Dodonna continued. "The Empire doesn't consider a small, one-man fighter a threat."

The view of the Death Star on the computer console zoomed in on the trench, then began making a virtual trench run. "To reach the weak spot, you must navigate this narrow trench." General Dodonna paused for a second, knowing the reaction he would get after the next sentence. "The target area is an exhaust port two meters wide…" His next few words were drowned out by the reactions of the pilots.

"Two meters? That's impossible, even for a computer," said the Corellian pilot next to Luke.

"That's not impossible," Luke said to him, making sure the other pilots could hear him. "I used to bullseye womp rats in my T-16 back home. They're not much bigger than two meters," Luke added, knowing that most of the pilots had probably never even heard of a womp rat.

"A direct hit in the exhaust port will cause a chain reaction that will destroy the station." The computer image indicated a pair of photon torpedoes leaving the virtual starfighter, and showed the torpedoes leading down the exhaust port and into the main reactor. With a flash of light across the screen, the image of the Death Star exploded. "Now man your ships, and may the Force be with you."

The fighter pilots and the others walked out of the briefing room, some having more questions than they did answers. Obi-Wan Kenobi could sense the fear of everyone in the base, fear that this plan wouldn't actually work. The Rebellion was taking a huge risk with this plan, and Obi-Wan couldn't help but think that the fate of the entire war depended on this battle. A gentle tapping on his shoulder brought him back to the present. It was Leia Organa.

"General Kenobi, we've all heard of your actions during the Second Battle of Coruscant during the Clone Wars," she began.

"Yes, I got quite the hero worship from several pilots when I first arrived."

"Commander Jake Farrell was recently injured…"

"Let me guess, knowing of my past flying heroics, you want me to fill in for him," Obi-Wan mused.

"If it wouldn't be too much to ask."

"I really shouldn't," Obi-Wan explained. "It's been nearly twenty years since I last flew a starfighter into combat. I doubt I could be of any use to you."

"We're short a pilot for an R-22 Spearhead in Blue Squadron, any extra help would be much appreciated."

The HWK-290 sat outside of the Great Temple, it's owner going over some last minute repairs. The carbon scores obtained over Danuta were being checked over, a hope that they weren't going to lead to a disastrous hull breach during the upcoming battle. He couldn't believe that he was actually going into battle, after the recent events.

"Need a pilot?" a female voice asked. Kyle Katarn turned around and saw Jan Ors walking toward the _Crow._ She wore a simple tan jacket over a white shirt, a pair of goggles up in her brown hair.

_Why, so you can shoot me if I decide to save my own skin?_ Kyle thought. "I wouldn't mind your help," he decided to say out loud. Ever since that dream two nights ago, he had been wary of almost anything the rest of the Rebels had to say, yet he still couldn't shake the feeling that he could trust Jan, despite some thoughts to the contrary.

"So you got your reward and now you're just leaving?" Luke asked Han Solo as the older man stacked several crates full of credits and supplies into his ship.

"I have a lot of old debts to pay off," Han said as he made an excuse for his leaving. He handed a crate to Chewbacca and then turned around to face Luke again.

"They need you, you've seen what they're up against, you know what they stand for."

"Look kid, I know what they stand for," Han said, remembering being double-crossed by the woman he loved. "Besides, going up against that thing is suicide."

Han entered the _Millenium Falcon_ and sat down in the pilot's chair. He began the final preparations for takeoff, not wanting to be stuck on the planet when the full wrath of the Imperial Navy fell on it.

You sure you know what you're doing, Han? Chewbacca asked as he emerged from the cargo bay.

"Yeah, I know what I'm doing," Han replied as the _Falcon _began to rise off of the ground. Chewbacca took his seat, hoping that he could actually talk some sense into his friend before it would be too late.

Inside of the medical bay of the Death Star, yellow eyes opened for the first time in three days. Through the vision enhancers of his mask, Darth Vader could see the world outside of his bacta tank in unusual clarity. He looked down upon his body, saw the partially healed lightsaber wound he had received by the hands of Obi-Wan Kenobi. At the very thought of his old Master the hatred began to take form in his mind. He would have his revenge, and it would occur soon…


	4. Chapter IV

**Chapter IV**

Obi-Wan Kenobi stood next to the R-22 Spearhead he had been talked into flying, watching as the ground crew prepped the ship for the battle ahead. A Verpine eased the black-and-white astromech droid into place while a female human finished fueling the starfighter.

"You sure you don't want a flight suit?" she asked as she finished her task. "These things may be fast, but that's pretty much all it has in the line of defense."

Obi-Wan stopped his ascent of the ladder, turning his head around to face the young rebel. "No shields?" he questioned.

"The R-22's have them, but they're minimal. They rely mainly on their speed for evading shots."

Well at least they have shields, Obi-Wan thought as stepped into the cockpit of the ship. If I was in an Actis, I'd probably be dead for sure. The woman's face appearing beside him brought him out of his thoughts.

"I think you forgot this," she said as she handed Obi-Wan his helmet.

Obi-Wan thanked her as he put the helmet on, mentally preparing himself for the upcoming battle as he did so. Soon the ladder was pulled away and the cockpit hatch was closed.

ALL PREFLIGHT SAFETY CHECKS ARE IN THE GREEN, the astromech droid said through the screen in the cockpit. WE HAVE RECEIVED A "GO" FOR LAUNCH. REMEMBER GENERAL KENOBI, YOU ARE FLYING IN BLUE SQUADRON UNDER THE CALLSIGN OF BLUE 7.

"Thanks for reminding me," Obi-Wan replied. "What's your name by the way?"

R2-P51, the astromech replied.

"Well R2-P51, I hope we can both get out of this battle fully-functional. It's been a while since I last flew a starfighter."

Obi-Wan listened as the astromech droid let loose some worried beeps before attempting to calm it down.

Luke Skywalker sat in his borrowed X-wing, going over the controls one last time. Just like Keyan and Biggs had said, the X-wing was remarkably similar to the Skyhopper he used to own. The astromech droid his uncle had purchased, R2-D2, sat behind him.

MASTER LUKE, Artoo typed to the pilot. RED SQUADRON HAS RECEIVED CLEARANCE TO LAUNCH.

"Thanks Artoo," Luke replied.

"Red Squadron, this is Red Leader," the speaker inside Luke's helmet rang out. "I'm sure your astromech droids have just told you that we've been cleared for launch. Stick by your assigned wingmen and you should survive out there."

The numerous starfighters lifted out of the base, headed for the massive space station that was headed for the Rebel base. The ion engines of the ships glowed blue in the sky as they headed for what could be certain death.

Grand Moff Tarkin stood in the control room of the Death Star, watching the red gas planet of Yavin slowly turn in the viewport. They had achieved orbit of the planet, and within thirty minutes the Rebellion would be crushed, and he would be the hero.

"Sir," another young officer reported to him. "We've picked up several signals emerging from the fourth moon. Our scanners report that 30 enemy starfighters are incoming."

Tarkin nodded. "Prepare the point-defense guns, and have our pilots on stand-by." The young officer saluted and relayed the orders to the appropriate people.

Luke Skywalker watched as the atmosphere of Yavin 4 disappeared around him, and the sensation of flying in space hit him. It was almost disorienting, there was no "down" to help him discern his location, and only the location of other objects could be used. A few Y-wings of Gold Squadron passed by him, the twin-engine craft that would be the main weapon during the battle.

"All wings report in," Red Leader said over the intercom. The transmissions of several pilots followed as each pilot reported in.

"Red Two standing by," reported Wedge Antilles, leader of Luke's flight. Biggs Darklighter followed.

"Red Five standing by," Luke replied.

"Lock S-Foils into attack position," Red Leader ordered after his squadron was accounted for. All of the X-wings in the battle group followed orders, and the two wings on the X-wings parted, revealing the four wings that gave the ships their name.

The starfighters then encountered turbulence, the ships began rocking around. "We've entered the magnetic field," the squadron leaders relayed to their fighters. "Switch your deflectors to double-front."

"Main battlegroup, this is the _Moldy Crow,_" Jan Ors spoke to the starfighters as she pulled her goggles over her eyes. "This is where we leave you. Green Squadron, form up on our wing."

"We copy _Crow,"_ Green Leader replied as he led his five X-wing squadron away from the main battlegroup. "Forming up on your wing."

"Yavin Base, this is Katarn. The _Crow_ and Green Squadron are ready to escort the rest of the transports away from the moon."

"We copy, _Moldy Crow._ Our first transports are launching now."

"We'll keep an eye for them, _Crow _out."

The human doctor aboard the Death Star quickly rushed to the nearest intercom in his office, knowing what his patient could do when angry.

"Governor Tarkin, this the Lord Vader's physician. I heavily suggest you come down here right away…"

Vader reached out with the Force, sending a tray of medical instruments rattling into the ground. He had sensed Kenobi out in the starfighters and desperately wanted his revenge. He always was the better pilot, and it would be fitting that he would kill his worst enemy in aerial combat. He only wished he could kill him personally, watching his lightsaber tear through the flesh just as Kenobi had done to him on two occasions.

"I am telling you now, get me out of this tank!" Vader yelled to the doctor, who was still at the intercom. The doctor ducked the metal tray that hurtled towards his head.

"Fine," the doctor said, finally giving up. "I need to have maintenance bring back your armor, however," he reasoned, hoping that Tarkin would soon arrive and try to talk some sense into the wounded Sith Lord.

"Make it quick," Vader replied.

Five minutes later as the Rebel starfighters began to take off from their base, the hastily repaired armor of Darth Vader arrived inside of the medical bay, and the resuiting of Vader began. It didn't take long for a fully operational Vader to take his first steps in several days. And those steps were headed for the hangar containing his customized TIE Fighter.

"Look at the size of that thing!" Wedge Antilles exclaimed as the Death Star appeared from behind Yavin, the large spacestation appearing to be the size of a small moon.

"Cut the chatter," responded Red Leader. Despite Red Leader's admonishment, Luke couldn't help but agree with his wingman. Somehow, the Death Star looked much bigger in the cockpit of the X-wing than it did when he saw it in the _Millenium Falcon._

"Red Five, this is Blue Seven on your private channel," Ben Kenobi's voice said to Luke. "Relax, we can do this. Trust in the Force. Feel it around you, draw it in."

Luke relaxed in his seat, taking several deep breaths as he searched for the Force. He could feel it around him, and he felt his perceptions expand. His reflexes seemed a little faster as he used it to enhance his dexterity.

Princess Leia stood by the giant holoprojector inside of the warroom, watching as the Death Star slowly orbited the planet of Yavin as the holographic representations of the starfighters approached it. Near the artificial Yavin 4, the _Moldy Crow_ escorted a YT-1300 and a Gallofree GR-75 until they left the view of the representation. General Dodonna had insisted upon her leaving with several of the other VIPs, but she had refused. It almost seemed as if she was supposed to be in this room, helping the others coordinate the battle. She nervously glanced at the timer next to the projector, in 15 minutes the Death Star would be within firing range of the moon.

Obi-Wan Kenobi watched as the other members of Blue Squadron advanced towards their target. His wingmates, a young male known only as "Rookie" and the female human named Ru Murleen, stayed close upon his wings. He was amazed at how similar the Spearhead was to the Actis he had flown during the Clone Wars, from the responsiveness to the controls (albeit a little slower for the non-Force-sensitives that would normally be flying them), to the speed of craft. He experimentally performed a barrel-roll in the craft, quickly flipping back into his original position.

"Stop the acrobatics, Seven. Use them when you really need them," Blue Leader scolded the new addition to his squadron. Obi-Wan could swear he heard the astromech droid behind him let out a series of beeps and whistles that sounded like a laugh.

Vader's footsteps echoed throughout the hallway of the Death Star as he moved as fast as his mechanical body could take him towards his hangar. Numerous officers and assorted personnel quickly moved out of his way as he approached them, all of them eager to stay in his "good graces." Only one man dared to try and stop him.

"Lord Vader," Tarkin said as he quickly walked towards the Sith in front of him. "I highly advise that you not go out there…"

"Kenobi is out there," Vader interrupted. "He is out there, and I will have my revenge."

Tarkin began to respond to Vader, tell him that he was in no condition to fly, that the other pilots and the station's defenses could easily take care of the ships, but he was stopped. Vader rose his right hand towards the Grand Moff as his lips began to open, his thumb a few centimeters from touching his index and middle fingers. Tarkin felt his airway close, grasped by some invisible force. In his mind, he remembered Vader doing this to Admiral Motti shortly before the escape of the prisoner, and now he was powerless to stop it. He did try, however, clutching at his throat the way everyone did, attempting to dislodge the hands that did not exist. His lungs burned as the stored-up oxygen was put to use, and he could feel his feet lifting off of the ground.

Then, almost as soon as it began, it ended. Vader released his hold over Tarkin, causing the elder man to fall to the ground, gasping for breath. "I have shown you mercy, Tarkin, only because you are of further use," Darth Vader said as he stood over the nearly unconscious body of Moff Tarkin. "In the future, it would be wise to not anger me…"

Luke Skywalker looked as the Death Star now completely filled his vision through the canopy of his X-wing. He looked at his sensors, scanning the area for any enemy fighters that may have been scrambled from one of the hangar bays, only to find a screen devoid of anything other than his approach to the surface of the Death Star. He had a feeling that this battle was going to be huge, one of the first major tests he would have to face in his life. As the details of the surface grew larger in his vision, the flat surface turning into a plain of turbolasers, deflector towers, and smaller guns that the other pilots called point-defense weaponry, he said the only thing that came to his mind.

"I have a bad feeling about this…"


	5. Chapter V

Chapter V 

The green bolts of turbolaser fire soared through the space around Keyan Farlander's Y-wing as he maneuvered his starfighter towards the surface of the Death Star. His astromech droid warbled on as it reported on the current battle situation. Gold Leader and his two wingmen were about to make their move for the surface, and the rest of Gold Squadron was ready as well.

He quickly juked away from an incoming turbolaser shot that had swiftly closed the 13-kilometer distance from its origin to the Rebel group. He checked the ship's chronometer, watching as the time until the Death Star entered the firing range of Yavin 4 ticked away.

"Red Leader," Gold Leader reported, his voice being carried to every ally in the system.

"I copy, Gold Leader."

"We're headed for the target area now," Gold Leader said as he began to right his ship in relation to the surface of the monstrous superweapon.

"We'll try and draw their fire from you," Red Leader replied as he ordered his entire squadron to engage the Death Star.

Luke eased his X-wing over the metallic surface, avoiding the numerous spires and towers that would spell the certain doom of a novice pilot. The turbolasers struggled to bring their payloads around onto the tiny targets streaking past them, but the starfighters proved to be far too fast for them. It didn't stop them from trying, however. Luke flew through a storm of fire that threatened to vaporize his craft. His developing danger sense forced him into a quick dive under a lucky shot that would have caught a non-Force-sensitive pilot. After quickly pulling back up from his dive to avoid hitting an obstacle jutting out from the surface, Luke glanced at his sensor screen for signs that Biggs and Wedge had survived the attack. He was relieved to find both of their fighters behind him, and he slowed down to rejoin his group.

A few seconds after Luke Skywalker barely avoided being disintegrated, Obi-Wan Kenobi squeezed the trigger of his R-22, sending two fire-linked red bolts of energy into a turbolaser emplacement. His wingmates joined in, their X-wings punching holes into the thick durasteel plating. Obi-Wan finished the badly damaged emplacement off with two quick shots, the shots punctured the remaining armor and tore through the Tibanna gas that powered the laser. The remains of the turret exploded, sending debris flying into space.

Obi-Wan piloted his R-22 towards a nearby deflection tower, steering the fast craft through the heavy fire of the point-defense guns. He opened his comlink to his two wingmates.

"Blue Two and Blue Three, how's your proton torpedoes?" he asked as the deflection tower slowly became larger.

Ru Murleen looked down at her instruments, switching the craft's firing mode from lasers to torpedoes. "Full count," she replied, seeing the number near the flight stick report that all six of her torpedoes were there.

"Same here, Blue Seven," Rookie One replied in his Tatooinian accent.

"Open fire on that deflection tower," Obi-Wan ordered as he nodded to himself.

A pair of proton torpedoes emerged from each of the two X-wings, immediately followed by a sustained volley of laser fire from Obi-Wan's starfighter. The lasers hit the tower first, sending portions of the inside hurtling outside as a result of decompression. The pairs of torpedoes slammed into the tower near the portion that Obi-Wan had already damaged, the four large explosions giving way to several smaller ones as the tower was destroyed.

"Good shooting," Obi-Wan congratulated his two wingmates as pieces of the tower floated past them.

Darth Vader watched as his two wingmen easily boarded their own ships as he gently lowered himself into the cockpit of his modified TIE fighter. Boarding his ship in his suit was always a chore, but now Vader's attempt was mired by the nagging injury he had received at the hands of Obi-Wan Kenobi three days previously. It was almost embarrassing to watch him fumble around, but all he felt at the moment was anger towards Obi-Wan Kenobi. After some effort, Vader was finally able to close the hatch of his fighter and begin a quick startup.

"We have picked up a new signal," the voice a crewmember on Yavin 4 said, his voice being relayed to every pilot. "Enemy fighters headed your way."

Obi-Wan checked his sensors for the incoming fighters, but saw only the green spots of his allies on the screen. He closed his eyes and reached out with the Force, using it the way a normal pilot would use their sensors. He felt the presence of his wingmates as they followed his every move, sensed the other pilots in the battle group as they flew around in the distance, and then he brushed past the TIE pilots as they headed towards him.

"This is Blue Seven," he addressed the wingmates. "I've found them, they're coming in from my left." He then gave the exact coordinates to the rest of the group.

Ru Murleen strained her neck as she attempted to visually spot the fighters. "Are you su- -?" she began to ask before she was interrupted by her astromech droid. Her sensors were now littered with numerous red dots to her own left. "I copy, my sensors have picked them up,"

The TIE fighters screamed as they approached the attacking ships. Twin bolts of green energy raced towards three X-wings, impacting one on its blue-painted wing. The ship spiraled out of control and slammed into a turbolaser emplacement.

Wedge Antilles pulled the trigger on his flight stick, sending a quad blast towards the bluish-gray target he was pursuing, only for the more maneuverable TIE fighter to break left just before the shots were fired. The young Corellian pilot continued his pursuit, sending the nose of his fighter in the same direction. Another shot went over the TIE as it dived towards the Death Star's surface, almost causing Wedge to lose sight of his target as it blended in with the gray metal. Wedge activated his targeting computer, causing the TIE to show up as a bright violet against an orange-painted background. He followed the Imperial fighter as it flew away from him, slowly getting the bright target into his sights. His next shot impacted on the TIE's right solar panel, sending the craft into a flaming death spiral towards a weakened deflection tower.

Green laser fire threatening to tear his fighter apart broke Wedge's attention away from the exploding tower as the hunter became the hunted. His X-wing rattled as another burst of fire slammed into his shields.

"This is Red Two, I've got one on my tail. I can't shake him," Wedge called out as green lasers flashed out from behind him, forcing his astromech droid to scream out in terror as one shot came extremely close to hitting its mark.

"Two, Six here," Wedge heard Jek Porkins reply to his call for help. "I'm headed your…" the rest of his sentence was cut off by his panicked scream as his X-wing exploded.

Wedge felt his own fighter violently rock as another blast hit his shields, and then he heard the warning sirens as his rear shields gave out. He quickly checked a readout, he had sustained some hull damage, but the extent of it was unknown.

The TIE chasing after Wedge exploded in a bright green flame as two shots tore through its engines, causing Wedge to breathe a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Luke," he said as Luke Skywalker slowed down to reform the wing. Biggs followed him a few seconds later.

Darth Vader pulled his TIE Advanced away from the wreckage of Red Six as he sensed the presence of Obi-Wan Kenobi nearby. He checked his sensor screen, looking for mechanical proof of the location of his nemesis. Using both the Force and the technology in his fighter, he found Obi-Wan's sleek fighter to his left and low. It was flanked by two X-wings as it skimmed the surface of the Death Star. Vader aligned his fighter towards the three enemy ships, and squeezed the triggers on his control yoke.

The stream of fire easily broke through the shields of the ship on Obi-Wan's right, sending the deadly lasers into the hull of the vessel. The X-wing exploded, sending the metallic fragments throughout the area. Obi-Wan heard the scream of Blue Three as his fighter disintegrated around him, and he heard Ru Murleen call out the young pilot's real name as she cut her throttle in an attempt to get behind the three pursuing TIEs. She made a welcome target to the pilot on Vader's left, whose precise shots sent Murleen into a fatal spin towards the Death Star.

Vader watched in satisfaction as his enemy was forced to fly alone, making him the perfect target. "The leader's mine," Vader told his wingmen as he struggled to keep Kenobi in his sights.

"I copy, Lord Vader," one of the black-suited pilots replied. "He's all yours."


	6. Chapter VI

**Chapter VI**

The R-22 Spearhead skimmed the surface of the Death Star, desperately trying to get the determined Darth Vader off of it's tail. It juked left and right, each time managing to stay away from the green laser shots that would spell certain doom for whatever they hit. The TIE Advanced maneuvered with the fast craft, matching it move for move as Darth Vader continued to fire off his lasers whenever the chance came about.

"Oh, I hate flying," Obi-Wan groaned as he watched Vader's shots streak past his fighter. He pulled back on his flight stick, causing the nose of his craft to face the planet Yavin, the red gas giant appeared slightly slimmer than it did a few minutes ago, a sign that the Death Star was nearing the Rebel moon. The chronometer on his instrument panel counted down to the four-minute mark. Through the Force, he could feel Vader begin to climb along with him.

It almost seemed like old times, Obi-Wan and Anakin matching each other nearly move-for-move during the hellish Battle of Coruscant, but now the scene was a cruel mockery of what had happened. The only time Obi-Wan and Anakin would be flying as allies at that moment would be on archive footage taken during the many battles of the Clone Wars. In his mind, Obi-Wan knew that there was never going to be a way that he could ever outfly Anakin, but there was a chance that he could outfly Vader…

Obi-Wan leveled his craft, waiting until the time was right for his next stunt. Vader followed, continuing to try and shoot down his old enemy, fire-linked shots racing towards their target only to continually miss. Obi-Wan rolled his craft over onto it's back and then pulled back on the flight stick. The surface of the Death Star raced up to meet him, and Obi-Wan silently hoped that he had obtained enough "altitude" and it would prohibit him from crashing into the surface. He managed to pull out of the dive a few meters above the surface, having done a complete half-loop. He sensed Vader's presence, and was slightly overjoyed to find that Vader's tight pursuit had been cut short, he was now about twelve meters back from where he had been before Obi-Wan had looped around.

Yet the pursuing TIE Advanced still continued firing at his ship, one lucky shot finally impacting on Obi-Wan's shields.

"That technician was right," Obi-Wan said aloud as he watched his shields nearly fail after the first shot. "Minimal shields…" Obi-Wan saw the remains of a deflection tower in the distance, and turned his fighter onto it's right side, causing another one of Vader's shots to go wide of the now thin target. Vader, sensing what Obi-Wan was about to do, did the same, and when Obi-Wan performed a tight loop around the remnants of the tower, Vader followed him.

Luke Skywalker watched as a strange looking TIE Fighter chased Ben's R-22 Spearhead, seemingly ignoring any other pilots. Through his limited training in the Force, he could feel the anger rolling off of the TIE pilot, and the mere presence of him caused Luke to shiver in his cockpit. "Wedge, Ben's picked up one." He watched as the TIE pilot quickly maneuvered around, trying to pick off his prey, and Luke knew that if things continued the way they were, Ben's ship was going to be destroyed. "Can you help him?" Luke asked.

"I'm going to try," Wedge replied as he saw the chase unfold. "Biggs, Luke, cover for me. Arthree, designate the TIE chasing the R-22 as our primary target." Wedge heard the acknowledging beeps and whistles from his astromech droid as it followed its orders. Wedge pushed a button on his instrument panel, causing his targeting computer to activate. Wedge now saw Vader's TIE fighter in bright yellow as he looked through the computer's screen, and saw Vader's wingmen as the familiar violet he had used to shoot down a previous TIE. He switched to his proton torpedoes and attempted to achieve a missile lock on the elusive fighter.

"This guy's good," Wedge had to compliment Vader as the more experienced pilot kept eluding the missile lock while still managing to pursue Kenobi. He watched as the two wingmen calmly stayed at their leader's side, never once attempting to either attack Kenobi or pull back to attack him. Wedge had to wonder whether or not the TIE pilot knew something he didn't.

A single drone alerted Wedge that missile lock had finally been achieved upon the elusive fighter. "Got you now," Wedge smiled as he pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. An alarm began sounding in Wedge's cockpit, causing the pilot to turn off his targeting computer.

TORPEDO LAUNCHERS HAVE SUSTAINED HEAVY DAMAGE, FIRING DISABLED UNDER SAFETY PROTOCOLS, Wedge's astromech droid reported to the frustrated pilot. "Well, override them!" Wedge exclaimed.

DAMAGE REPORTS SAY THAT A PREVIOUS HIT HAS MADE THE FIRING OF ANY PROTON TORPEDOES A SERIOUS RISK ON THE SHIP. ANY ATTEMPT HAS A 90 CHANCE OF MISFIRING.

"Red Leader, this is Red Three," Wedge reported. "My proton torpedo launcher has been rendered inoperable. I'm unable to complete the mission."

"Red Five, take command of the flight," Red Leader instructed, hoping that Luke Skywalker was half as good a pilot as his father was.

"Lord Vader," one of the technicians inside of the Death Star reported. "Several fighters have broken off from the main group. They're attempting to compromise the main reactor."

Darth Vader's anger at Kenobi slightly died down upon hearing this news. Even though that fool Tarkin never believed it, those fighters did pose a significant threat to the security of the Death Star, and only he was a good enough pilot to stop them. He broke off his pursuit of Obi-Wan and ordered his two wingmen to do the same.

Gold Leader stared into his targeting computer, watching as the distance between his Y-wing and the thermal exhaust port shortened as he flew through the trench. The turbolasers stationed at his target kept firing towards the three intruders, forcing the Y-wings to have to weave close to the walls and the surface of the trench in order to avoid being shot down.

Then silence broke through the cockpit as the turbolasers stopped their barrage, causing all three fighters to check both their sensor screens and check the area for the incoming fighters that had just entered the trench.

"Switch your deflectors back to normal," Gold Leader ordered as he continued looking into the targeting computer. He heard his wingmen respond to his orders, and counted down the seconds until he would be within firing range. This wing and Keyan Farlander were the last of Gold Squadron, the majority of their forces lost in combat with the TIE fighters.

Darth Vader and his wingmen quickly closed on the slow Y-wings, their targeting systems working to get a solid shot on the fighters as the two in the rear attempted to cover for the leader. The wingman on Vader's left open fired upon one of the covering fighters, the high-powered shields and hull of the Y-wing withstanding several shots before it was finally destroyed.

Darth Vader watched as the leader of the group began to panic under the pressure, wildly attempting to leave the trench. Vader's shots sliced through the shields of the Y-wing with only a little trouble, and then severed the right wing from the rest of the ship, sending it crashing into the nearest wall. Now there was only the one Y-wing in the trench left to deal with. The three TIE fighters opened fire on the ship, which smartly began pull out of the trench. Unfortunately, it flew into the waiting sights of the several laser cannons stationed near the trench, which welcomed him with open arms. The Y-wing exploded after its pilot managed to make a last second plea. Satisfied that the exhaust port was now safe for the time being, Darth Vader resumed his search for Obi-Wan Kenobi.

"—from behind!" the dying words of Gold Five echoed throughout the large cockpit. The pilot struggled to steer the modified freighter away from the TIEs that threatened to blast the ship apart, as she did a lock of brown hair fell free from her goggles. Green Squadron had also taken heavy casualties as a separate group of TIEs had gone past the main battlegroup and headed straight towards the few escaping transports. The _Moldy Crow_ shuddered violently and a loud rumble echoed throughout the ship as an enemy volley hit its mark.

"We've lost our aft shields," she reported, a twinge of desperation in her voice.

"How many TIEs remain?" Kyle Katarn asked with anger in his voice. During the entire battle, he had found out that releasing his anger of what the Empire had done upon the fighters was extremely effective. His aim seemed to improve, leading to the destruction of several enemy fighters that would have probably eluded him otherwise.

"Five," Jan Ors replied. "But we only have three…make that two X-wings left," she added as a TIE fighter added another kill to its increasing tally.

Kyle watched as another TIE fighter flew into his sights, and smiled as it exploded after he connected with a single red shot. Another one quickly fell victim to the same fate its predecessor did as it wandered into his sights while chasing an X-wing. One of the three remaining TIEs made an attack run on the _Moldy Crow,_ its two lasers impacting on the unprotected hull. Jan watched as the fighter passed overhead, and then watched as it exploded as a result of a large laser cannon.

"Nice shooting, Kyle," she congratulated.

"That wasn't me," he replied.

Red Leader closed in on the thermal exhaust port, pursued by the strange looking TIE fighter and his two wingmen. The enemy had shot down his own wingmen a few seconds previously, and less than two minutes remained before the Death Star was in firing range of the Rebel base. The survival of the Rebellion probably rested upon his shoulders. His ship rocked as the enemy leader's shots hit his shields, but the closing walls of the targeting computer were all that he paid attention to. Finally, the quick beeping from the targeting computer alerted him that a target lock on the exhaust port had been firmly established.

He fired off the proton torpedoes, and watched as they soared towards the end of the trench. He quickly pulled up, not wanting to be near the massive explosion that was sure to follow. The torpedoes raced towards the target, guided by some of the latest in computer technology. They reached the target in only a few seconds, and only impacted upon the surface of the exhaust port…

A look of failure appeared on Red Leader's face as he had to report what happened to the main base and his pilots. "Negative, I repeat, negative. They didn't go in, just impacted on the surface. Red Five, take Two and Three and make your attack run. Gold and Blue Seven, make sure to clear them an exit."

He dismissed Luke's attempt at persuading him to try and flee, but he had to at least try to draw that advanced TIE fighter away from the group as long as possible. A well placed shot by the leader took out his starboard engine, and soon Red Leader found himself crashing towards the surface of the Death Star.

Luke Skywalker was nervous, it was his first actual combat flight and the fate of the entire battle rested on his shoulders. He was tempted to give up, call out to Ben for help and hope that the Jedi would be able to destroy the station himself. But it was truly up to him, and Luke knew this.

"Okay, Biggs, Wedge, when we go in this thing we're going in full throttle. That ought to keep those fighters off of our backs."

The three X-wings entered the trench of the Death Star with only a minute remaining, Biggs and Wedge both on the lookout for the three fighters that had caused so much destruction that day. Luke pulled up his targeting computer, and hoped that he would have more luck with his shot than Red Leader did.

"Red Five," Keyan Farlander reported from above the Death Star surface. "The fighters are coming back in, watch your back. They did a pretty good job of evading me," he added, remembering the lead fighter somehow making his two proton torpedoes collide into each other several meters before they hit his ship.

"I copy, Gold Seven," Luke replied. "Biggs, Wedge, you hear that?"

"I'm not picking them up at the moment," Biggs reported.

Darth Vader was exhausted. The strain of causing the Y-wing pilot's proton torpedoes to collide with each other using the Force had taken a lot out of him, and the constant flying had slightly aggravated his wound. He lined up one of the X-wings in his sights and fired. The shot grazed off of the right engine of the craft, causing a small explosion.

More alarms sounded in Wedge's cockpit as Vader's shot hit his craft. His attempts to steer his craft away from the wall became increasingly difficult, as the ship seemed slightly unresponsive. The computer readout provided by his astromech droid confirmed his suspicion that his stabilizer had been severely damaged. "Luke, I've lost my stabilizer," he regretfully informed Skywalker.

"Get out of here, Wedge. You can't do any more good back there," Luke replied, knowing that Wedge attempting to draw enemy fire away from him with poor maneuverability would only do more harm than good.

"Sorry," Wedge said as he pulled his starfighter out of the trench, leaving only Biggs Darklighter to protect Luke.

Vader ordered his wingmen to stay on the leader, as he prepared for another shot. He may not have been able to destroy Kenobi at the moment, but there would be plenty of time after Yavin 4 was destroyed. He recalled the events that happened on Yavin 4 twenty-two years previously, the duel with Asajj Ventress that had been one of the first steps he had taken in completely embracing his anger. He squeezed the trigger on his control yoke, causing the other X-wing guarding the leader to explode into a ball of flames.

Luke heard Biggs' death scream through his intercom, and knew that he was now alone against the three TIE fighters. There wasn't much time left for Yavin 4, and now Luke Skywalker was forced to take on the heavy burden of destroying the station. His targeting computer showed the distance between himself and the exhaust port closing.

"Use the Force, Luke," Ben's voice emerged from his intercom. "The targeting computer won't make the shot. Remember your exercises, let go, Luke."

Luke, trusting the advice of his mentor, switched off his targeting computer, causing great worry in the Rebel war room. Many of the personnel in the background silently resolved themselves for death, while Princess Leia hoped that the young pilot knew what he was doing. After all, it was General Kenobi who had instructed him to do so.

"The Force is strong with this one," Vader remarked as he attempted to get the remaining X-wing in his sights. The young pilot was up to something, and Vader knew exactly what it was. He had used the Force in aerial and space combat to make hitting his targets easier, and that was exactly what this pilot was going to do. "But not strong enough," Vader added as he began to fire at Red Five.

A blast of turbolaser fire disintegrated one of his wingmen, throwing Vader off of his target. In a last minute attempt at self-preservation, the other wingman attempted to pull away from the trench, causing one of his solar panels to impact with one of Vader's. Darth Vader found himself spinning out of control, his viewport alternating between the darkness of space and the grayish metal of the Death Star as it moved away from him. He also caught sight of the new participant in the battle, the very same YT-1300 that had escaped from the Death Star with Obi-Wan Kenobi onboard.

Luke barely heard Han Solo's return as he resumed focusing on the target ahead of him. Then he knew it was time to fire, and his hands moved against his own will, fingers flexing on the flight stick and squeezing the trigger. The proton torpedoes flew out of the X-wing, and headed straight into the exhaust port, causing Luke to breathe a huge sigh of relief as the chronometer in his X-wing reached zero. He heard Han congratulate his shot and Chewbacca's joyful roaring.

The two X-wings, one Y-wing, one R-22, and a battered Corellian freighter accelerated away from the Death Star, barely reaching a safe distance before the chain reaction finally destroyed the superweapon. They were soon joined by the single X-wing of Green Squadron that had survived and the very battered _Moldy Crow._ As the seven ships entered the atmosphere of the fourth moon, the celebrations had already begun.

Darth Vader finally regained control of his ship, whose tumble had been amplified by the destruction of the Death Star. He set course for the nearest Imperial base, swearing his revenge upon the Rebellion, and the pilot who had destroyed the Death Star.


	7. Chapter VII

**Chapter VII**

Luke's X-wing was the last to land inside of the now nearly empty hangar of the Massassi Temple, his slightly battered X-wing coming to rest beside the heavily damaged fighter of Wedge Antilles. Already, technicians were working over the craft, trying to repair the damage caused to the torpedo launchers. A member of the ground crew quickly moved a ladder towards the side of Luke's ship near the canopy. Outside of his canopy, Luke could already see the residents of the base and the surviving pilots race to his ship, wishing to congratulate him on destroying the Death Star.

Luke stepped out of his cockpit and quickly climbed down the ladder into the now growing crowd of people outside of his fighter. The technicians assigned to his fighter struggled to get through the crowd to remove R2-D2 from the astromech slot, and perform basic maintenance on the fighter. Luke took the final step onto the floor of the base, and he could faintly hear Han Solo's voice over the din of the crowd. He turned around to see where the smuggler was, and then he someone collide with him.

"Hey!" he shouted to Princess Leia as she hugged him. He looked around the hangar, desperately looking for Ben, but Luke was unable to see him over the crowd.

"I knew you'd come back, I just knew it!" Leia exclaimed after Han finally reached the two. "I knew there was more to you than money!" Leia soon embraced Han as well. The other surviving fighter pilots waited calmly to congratulate Luke while they themselves were celebrated for surviving the mission.

Luke also heard the beeps and whistles of Artoo "speaking" to him as the droid was lowered from the fighter by a technician.

"Please let me through," a very proper voice emerged from the crowd whom largely seemed to ignore the speaker. "Excuse me, excuse me please," the voice continued to say as it attempted to reach Luke. "Master Luke! It is good to see you fully functional, especially considering all of the reports I heard in the war room." The golden protocol droid then began speaking to Artoo about the battle, leaving Luke alone with Leia and Han.

As the three finally moved out of the crowd, Luke could finally see Obi-Wan. The aged Jedi Master was speaking to a man a little older than Luke, who walked away soon after Luke saw them. Soon Obi-Wan was walking towards the trio, a slight smile on his face. "You did well, Luke," Obi-Wan congratulated his student. "And thank you," he said to Han.

"Ah, it was nothing," Han Solo replied as he shook Kenobi's hand. "I heard you did a pretty good job yourself out there."

Obi-Wan stood silent for a short while, remembering the screams of his wingmates as Darth Vader and the rest of his flight killed them. "Not well enough," was his only reply.

"General Kenobi," another voice interrupted them. "I'm sorry about not being able to shoot that guy down that was chasing you."

Obi-Wan took a second to remember the young pilot's name before responding. "There's no need to apologize, Wedge. Things like that tend to happen in battle."

A few hours later, Obi-Wan knelt on the floor of his private quarters, lost in meditation.

_You do not need to blame yourself, Obi-Wan,_ the voice of Qui-Gon said. _Your presence there saved many lives._

"I don't know, Master Qui-Gon," Obi-Wan replied. "I think that I actually made things worse for them. I lured Vader out there, and how many people would still be alive if I hadn't been out there."

_Vader would have been out there, anyway. It was inevitable. How is your search for new students going?_

"I am already training Luke, and a pilot here by the name of Keyan Farlander," Obi-Wan answered. "I have also spoken to another person on the base, the one you said that Exar Kun has been attempting to turn. I am unsure that your suggestion to train him was right, Master. I sense much anger in him."

_Exar Kun has already been taken care of_, _Obi-Wan_, Qui-Gon replied to his somewhat doubting student.

"How?" Obi-Wan asked. "I thought you said that you were unable to defeat him alone."

_I wasn't alone, there were others that helped me._

Exar Kun sensed the battle raging in the sky above, and he sense the familiar dark presence he had first encountered two decades previously. Gone was the slight hesitation of using anger to make himself more powerful, now the presence seemingly wallowed in his own hatred. Yet this disturbed Exar Kun, even from the far distance from the battle site, he could sense that that figure had grown immensely powerful. Even more powerful than himself… Then, another familiar presence was near Exar Kun again, the sickeningly feeling of a being immersed in the Light Side that had tried to defeat him before.

"So," the Sith Spirit spoke to the Light Side Spirit behind him. "Here for another try at defeating me? You must know that it is futile for you to even attempt it again."

"I may not have been strong enough to defeat you alone, Exar," Qui-Gon replied. "But I'm sure that _we_ could defeat you now."

"_We?_ You stand alone, Jedi," Exar Kun scoffed at the ridiculous statement his opponent had made.

"No, he doesn't," said a familiar congested voice to Exar Kun's left. The Sith spirit quickly turned to face his new opponent, and was amazed to see a red-exoskeletoned crustacean in brown Jedi robes standing before him.

"_Master…_" Exar replied in a harsh voice. "So good to see you again. The last time I saw you, you were in pieces on the ground as a result of my lightsaber," he finished with a smirk.

"As you yourself should know," Vodo-Siosk Bass answered. "There is no death, only the Force."

"No death," Exar laughed. "Then what happened to all of those senators that I slaughtered, right after I dispatched you?"

"They too have joined the Force," Qui-Gon answered Exar.

"And their power has joined with ours," yet another voice joined in. Exar Kun swirled around to face the new intruder, and was startled at who he saw.

"Ulic," he growled in anger.

"They really don't need me, Exar," the spirit of Ulic Qel-Droma responded. "But you should see the power of the Light Side."

"None of you are powerful enough to destroy me!" Exar exclaimed. "Not even you," he said as he pointed to Vodo-Siosk.

"Alone, yes," Qui-Gon replied. "But together…"

"So, all three of you were able to destroy him?" Obi-Wan asked.

_Together, we were more powerful than Exar Kun,_ Qui-Gon's voice explained. _He will no longer trouble anyone here again._

"So you and two other Force Spirits completely defeated him?" Obi-Wan asked, making sure that he had heard his Master correctly.

_Completely,_ Qui-Gon replied.

The nearly transparent and blue face of a woman appeared from a holotransmitter inside of one of barracks set aside for the pilots in the Rebel base. "I heard about that operation from Mon Mothma," she said to the man attempting to listen to her words through the loud and boisterous sounds of the other pilots in room, "I'm glad to hear you made it through."

"I nearly didn't, Lynia," Keyan Farlander replied after telling Sarkli to quiet down. "How are things going on the _Independence?_"

"Like I said before, we've already heard about what happened at Yavin, and things are pretty busy here as well. Although not as busy as it seems to be around there," she added after a particularly loud cheer from the pilots. "What just happened?"

Keyan turned around to look at what had caused the previous ruckus to erupt. "I think they just broke into Janson's stash of Tanaab Whiskey… Anyway, I've finally taken yours and Mon Mothma's advice to find someone to formally train me in the ways of the Force, and you're not going to believe who it is."

"I probably won't," Lynia replied. "Who is it?"

"General Kenobi," Keyan answered her.

"_The _General Kenobi? The Negotiator?"

"The one and the same," Keyan replied.

"So, apparently Biggs and this guy defected together from the _Rand Ecliptic _a little while ago. From what I've heard, he's a pretty good pilot, although he's also a bit unlucky," Wedge Antilles explained to Luke Skywalker as the two of them walked towards the medical bay in the Rebel base a few days after the Battle of Yavin. "All of the others say he'd make an excellent addition to Red Squadron."

"What do you mean, unlucky?" Luke asked the veteran pilot. After his much celebrated destruction of the Death Star, a grateful Rebel command had given the young pilot the command of the brand new Rogue Flight of Red Squadron, a position that seemed to put a lot of pressure on Luke's shoulders. Not only did he have the responsibilities of being a pilot, he also had the pressures of continuing his Jedi training under Ben Kenobi.

"When he defected, he had already lost one of his arms, and had to have a prosthetic attached. And one of his first missions for the Rebellion, he was forced to eject and was clipped by a TIE fighter," Wedge answered, watching Luke wince in pain at the mention of the last accident. "We're here now," he said as they entered the medical bay.

A 2-1B medical droid welcomed them into the medical bay, and showed them to the patient that they wished to see. He was lying in a simple hospital bed, exercising his right leg and listening to another patient inside of a force field.

"You should have seen the look on that guy's face when the ejection seat malfunctioned," the patient in the force field said, nearly laughing at the mere memory of the event. "And of course, he achieved escape velocity. I don't know how long we had to search before we eventually found him, and he certainly hasn't lived that one down."

Wedge and Luke waited politely until both pilots finished chuckling at the misadventures of another pilot. "Derek Klivan?" Luke Skywalker asked.

"Klivian," the pilot responded. "Did they spell my name wrong again?"

"Apparently so," Luke replied, quickly correcting the misspelling on the datapad. "Sorry about that. I'm Luke Skywalker, the new commanding officer of Red Squadron's Rogue Flight," Luke introduced himself. The title, still new to him, felt almost unwieldy coming out of his mouth.

"Biggs' friend," Derek replied. "What brings you here to the med bay?"

"We're looking for pilots for our Flight," Luke answered. "Your name came up with several recommendations."

"Well, I obviously can't fly at the moment," Derek replied as he pointed towards his left leg. "The droid hasn't cleared me for flying yet, but a squad is a squad."

Luke turned to the man in the force field, placed in quarantine for a case of Hesken Fever he had developed before the Battle of Yavin. "Wes Janson, you are also highly recommended."

The four pilots talked for a while, finalizing the duty transfers and listening to Janson tell more stories of his time with the Tierfon Yellow Aces. It was then that Luke excused himself, leaving Wedge alone with the two to finalize the transfers. As Wedge watched Luke walk out of the door, he turned his head towards the other two pilots in the room. As the door closed, Wedge couldn't help but have a bad feeling about those two…


	8. Chapter VIII

Chapter VIII 

Obi-Wan Kenobi's blue blade moved to match the remote's random movements across the abandoned room that served as the training room for Obi-Wan's students. The wielder's brown eyes moved to match the movements of the remote as it prepared to unleash another low-powered volley. With a final revolution, the remote fired off two quick blasts towards its target. The lightsaber's wielder, guided by the Force, swiftly moved his lightsaber to block the first shot. The red bolt impacted with the lightsaber, the blue blade quickly absorbing the weak shot. The second shot, however, was far too fast for the inexperienced Jedi trainee to deflect it. The shot expertly hit the man's right wrist, causing the chamber to echo with a short cry of pain.

"You did well, Kyle," Obi-Wan Kenobi said to his newest student. "Even I wasn't able to block all of my shots when I first started. In fact, if I remember correctly, I think the remote hit me far more often than I was able to block its shots," Obi-Wan mused, conveniently forgetting that he was about five years old at the time.

"It certainly doesn't feel like I did well," Katarn replied after extinguishing his borrowed lightsaber, rubbing his right wrist as the pain from the shot began to fade.

"Your skills will improve in time," Obi-Wan responded, still worried about the anger that lurked beneath the surface of his new student. "But you must work on controlling your anger. When you draw upon it, you risk falling to the Dark Side."

"What's this 'Dark Side' you keep talking about?" Kyle asked, slightly confused by Obi-Wan's Jedi terminology.

"Well as the name suggests, it is a twisted and evil version of the Force. It tempts you when you are most susceptible to its lures, namely when someone close to you has been killed," Obi-Wan explained. "It promises a quick and easy way to power; power to avenge their death, or power to save your own life."

"Ben, have you ever been tempted by the Dark Side?" Luke asked as he worked to repair one of the new training remotes that the Alliance had graciously donated."

"Twice," Obi-Wan responded to his question. "Once was when I was a young man; about the age of 25. It was during the Battle of Naboo, and my Master Qui-Gon Jinn and I were battling a Sith Lord, the first one seen in almost a thousand years. During the duel, we were separated. The Sith took advantage of the situation, and soon Qui-Gon was killed in front of me, and there was nothing I could have done to prevent it. He was like a father to me, and when I finally had the chance to fight the Sith I used my anger to fight him. Using my anger, I became reckless, and I was almost defeated."

"How did you beat him?" Luke asked.

"I was able to calm down, and use my own head and I used his own arrogance against him. He didn't see a young Padawan that was hanging from a precipice to be a threat, and he wasn't aware of his surroundings. I was able to use my Master's own lightsaber to cut him down after leaping up from my position."

"And the second time?" Keyan asked.

"The second time that I nearly fell to the Dark Side was when the woman I loved was killed during the Clone Wars," Obi-Wan responded, remembering the events that had happened twenty years previously. "I came extremely close to falling to the Dark Side when that happened."

"How did Darth Vader fall to the Dark Side?" Luke asked, sending a small wave of panic through Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan wondered what exactly he was going to say to Luke; was it going to be the truth from a certain point of view? "Darth Vader fell to try and prevent someone he cared about from dying," Obi-Wan replied, sticking as close to the real truth as he could. "In doing so, he allowed the Emperor to twist his mind and make him into the very thing he had vowed to destroy. Palpatine is a master manipulator," Obi-Wan told his students. "And he is very powerful in the ways of the Dark Side. He should be underestimated."

"What about Jerec?" Kyle asked, noting the surprised look that flashed across Obi-Wan's face. "From what I've seen of him, he also appears to be extremely powerful."

"Jerec?" Obi-Wan asked. "When did you see him?"

"It was about a year ago, at my graduation from the Imperial Academy on Carida," Kyle replied. "He seemed to radiate evil."

Obi-Wan sighed. Another Jedi had fallen to the Dark Side, more than likely to save his own life. What role would this play in the things to come? "Luke," he said as he tried to turn his lessons for the day back towards the finer points of deflecting blaster shots, a skill that was bound to become extremely important in the conflicts to come. "I do believe that it's your turn."

Luke Skywalker sat the half-repaired remote in the pile with the others still needing repair, and picked up his father's lightsaber. "Level Five," he told the remote, which began flashing down a countdown until the exercise began. He pulled the blast shield down over his eyes and let the Force flow through him. Obi-Wan slightly chuckled at the reactions the other students had when they had first witnessed the training exercise take place. The sight of the other two students quickly racing towards a wall to avoid the potential of accidentally being skewered upon the blue energy blade was one to see, but now both Keyan and Kyle were now calmly standing a safe distance away.

All three of his students had their own strengths and weaknesses; being a Force-sensitive pilot, Keyan naturally had the current edge on being able to use the Force to enhance his own piloting skills. A feat that more than likely made him the best military pilot of the bunch at this moment. From what little he had been around a lightsaber, Kyle Katarn seemed to be quickly becoming a master in its usage. And while Luke Skywalker seemingly didn't have an advantage on any particular Force skill, Obi-Wan knew that Luke's strength was the speed in which he learned. And with Luke being a Skywalker, the son of the man that was born of the Force itself, that really didn't surprise Obi-Wan at all. His father had progressed from a young child with no formal Force training at all, and little to no experience of being able to consciously use his gifts, to a fully trained Jedi Knight in a little over twelve years, a feat that took most humans twenty-five to thirty.

His normal vision was obscured by the blast shield, causing him to see only darkness. Yet another type of vision remained, a vision that relied on his hearing and the sight that the Force granted him. Luke followed the movement of the remote with his blade, pivoting around when needed to make sure that a single shot didn't make its way through. He had never attempted the Level Five training drill with the blast helmet on, only without it. Yet it didn't seem to hinder him as the remote released it's first barrage, a series of three blasts aimed at his midsection. Luke quickly moved his lightsaber to block the blasts, catching two of them at once and absorbing the final shot with a quick movement of his wrist.

The remote floated around the room before unleashing another torrent of laser-fire at the Jedi trainee; two shots followed a few seconds later with an additional two. All four of the shots soon met their end on the blue lightsaber blade. As the training exercise continued, the remote quickly reacted to the target's actions and slightly increased the difficulty level. A series of five shots, aimed at various portions of Luke's body, were fired. Luke managed to deflect the first two; a pair of shots that were aimed at his legs, and followed up to meet another shot. However, he wasn't quick enough to deflect the two aimed at his chest. The low intensity shots impacted on his chest, nearly causing Luke to lose his balance. Satisfied that a "lethal" shot had been achieved, the remote droid floated down to the ground and powered down.

Luke removed his helmet and wiped the sweat that had begun to form on his forehead. "Those things sting!" Luke exclaimed as he rubbed at his wounds, causing a slight chuckle to come from the rest of the students.

The skies of Coruscant were a dark shade of orange as the sun slowly rose over the pyramid-shaped Imperial Palace, causing the building to cast an ominous shadow over the land around it. Five ordinary TIE Fighters flanked the TIE Advanced of Darth Vader as it made its final approach towards the monstrous structure, forming a black V that stood out against the sky.

Darth Vader was nervous as he struggled to pilot his now aerodynamically challenged fighter towards the main hangar of the palace. He knew the possible repercussions of his failure to protect the Death Star at Yavin, and he knew that through both the Force and the testimony of the survivors of the super weapon that the Emperor already knew. He had used the Emperor's renowned distaste for failures to motivate others; menacingly reminding them that the Emperor was not as forgiving as he himself was. While he would more than likely let an outstanding officer live for a simple mistake, the Emperor was much more bloodthirsty.

He finally docked his TIE Advanced above the Emperor's personal shuttle, and his wingmates soon followed. After crawling out of his fighter, Darth Vader walked past his wingmen as they congregated around each other and headed towards the Emperor's private throne room. As he left the company of the other humans, Vader placed his right arm over his abdomen and winced in pain underneath his mask. The results of the Battle of Yavin on his previous wound suffered at the hands of Obi-Wan were bad. The several days he had journeyed to Imperial Center from the system were agonizing, and Vader knew that it would take several more days in bacta treatment in order for it to fully heal. That is if he survived his meeting with the Emperor…


	9. Chapter IX

Chapter IX 

"This fixation on Kenobi—that is a part of you that is still Skywalker. You must purge it from yourself. Anakin Skywalker is dead, only Darth Vader remains." Those words, spoken to him nineteen years ago, rang in Darth Vader's head as he approached Emperor Palpatine's throne room. Those words had been the after effects of another time when Vader had let his anger over his suited condition and anger at Kenobi get the best of him. The events were still fresh in his mind; the secret Jedi meeting on Kessel that almost cost him his life. Sure the first Jedi went down easily, a Jedi that looked strangely familiar to him, but the others kept on coming. Vader tightened his right hand into a fist. It was because of that battle that the last vestige of Anakin Skywalker was purged. His right arm, a formerly golden creation, had been severed by the Aleena Jedi Master Tsui Choi. It was then replaced by the dull, uniform gray that was the trademark of his other prosthetics.

As he was admitted entry into the chamber by the red-robed guards, Vader was slightly worried as to how this next meeting would go. "Greetings Lord Vader," he heard Darth Sidious say as he walked into the dark chamber. The Dark Lord of the Sith sat in his throne, the window behind him showing the lights of the city and the aircars as they flew past. Beside him stood a cloaked figure. "The events of Yavin were an unfortunate incident, weren't they?" the deteriorated Sith Lord said.

"Yes, my Master," Vader replied as he bowed. "I attempted to personally destroy the fighters, but I was unable to do so."

"And what of Kenobi?" Sidious asked. "It seems that Tarkin's last report to me included some _interesting_ news."

Vader felt his stomach wound seemingly twinge in pain at Sidious' report. "He was present on the station when Leia Organa was rescued by a group of rebels. I sought him out, and I failed to kill him, Master."

The Emperor sat silently in his throne. Vader's failures that day resulted in one of the more powerful Jedi that had survived the Sith's revenge getting away, with the possibility of him training more Jedi that would one day raise up against him. Vader's failure had also resulted in the destruction of the Death Star, and the rebellion had been allowed to escape once again. "You have let your obsession with Kenobi get in the way of the larger mission, Lord Vader," Sidious replied as he rose his right hand towards his kneeling apprentice. "The Rebellion, insignificant as it is, must be crushed," he added as a low-powered arc of blue lightning rushed from his fingertips to Darth Vader. The lightning, specifically created as to only cause pain, arced around the black armored Sith Lord. The hooded figure next to Sidious smiled as it watched Vader writhe in pain.

After what seemed like an eternity of pain, Vader finally felt the lightning stop racing through his body. Pain still raced through him, yet he knew that the life support system in his suit had not been greatly damaged by the lightning. However, he knew that if Sidious ever wanted to kill him, he could easily do so. Sidious looked at his wounded apprentice and motioned to the two guards that saw Vader in. "Get him to a bacta tank," Palpatine ordered, not wanting to see Vader dead when he was still useful.

The two red-clad guards set their force pikes against the wall and walked over to the fallen Vader. As the medical team removed Vader to the medical portion of the Imperial Palace, Emperor Palpatine turned to address the hooded figure next to him. "He seems distracted by something," he mused. "He seems to be obsessed with the past. Or by something… more elusive," Palpatine added. "Perhaps I should give Vader another chance at destroying the Rebels in their hidden base. He shall lead a strike force to destroy the base on Yavin 4 once he has fully recovered." Palpatine fully turned to the person on his left now. "I want you to keep an eye on him, make sure he doesn't make any more _mistakes,_" he ordered.

"Yes, Master," the hooded figure spoke in a harsh feminine voice. As she bowed, a lock of red hair fell out from her hood. "It will be done."

"I highly recommend that you join us in training, Princess Leia," Obi-Wan said as he walked beside the young Princess that he had helped deliver years ago. "You are Force-sensitive, you must know that," He continued. Very _Force-sensitive_, he mentally added. When he had told Bail Organa to call upon him if there was an extremely dire emergency he hadn't counted on something of this magnitude, the only thing he was thinking about was having to watch over both twins instead of just Luke. Now, he was a respected "leader" of a Rebellion against the Empire, as well as the creator of what may very well become a new Jedi Order. A new Jedi Order that needed as many trainees as possible in order to survive.

"I don't think I am," Leia replied as she walked throughout the Massassi Temple. "I haven't exhibited any signs of what Luke and you can do," she added as she entered a large room.

Obi-Wan thought for a second. "Did you ever have any strange childhood dreams?" he added. "If a child is discouraged from using his or her powers, like what Bail probably did to you, most children that were not sent to the Temple put their powers off as a type of childhood fantasy."

"What child doesn't?" Leia asked. "Besides, even if I was Force-sensitive, I couldn't possibly train as a Jedi _and_ help lead the Alliance at the same time."

"In case you haven't noticed," Obi-Wan countered. "All of my other students are members of the Alliance."

"Two pilots and a Special Ops soldier have much more time on their hands than I do," Leia countered.

"That is true," Obi-Wan Kenobi concluded. "Perhaps at some other time, you will reconsider. My offer to train you still stands." Obi-Wan turned to walk away, but the remembrance of several events at the beginning of this new journey forced him to stop. He had seen the way that Luke and Leia looked at each other at the beginning, and he wanted to let them know of their true relationship before things progressed from a simple crush to something far more serious and disgusting in most cultures.

A male officer quickly raced up to Leia Organa, moving as fast as he possibly could. "Princess Leia!" he exclaimed as he tried to catch his breath. "One of our far outposts has sent a distress signal. They've been attacked by Stormtroopers!"

"How is this possible?" Leia Organa asked.

"Survivors, more than likely," Obi-Wan replied. It was a foolish notion to believe that everyone on board of the Death Star was killed, there had to be a few Stormtroopers that had managed to reach escape pods. "They must have spent the past week getting organized."

"Looks like your Jedi trainees are about to get their first combat test," Leia said as she began to walk towards the war room. I'm giving them command of one of our platoons and a temporary promotion to lieutenant."

"I'll let them know," Obi-Wan said as he rushed to gather his students before he lost them in the inevitable rush.

The three of them had already heard of the Imperial assault when they arrived in the classroom, and almost all of them were ready to put their new powers to the test. Obi-Wan stood before them, ready to tell them of the situation.

"A few hours ago," he began, "surviving Imperial troops captured an outpost a few kilometers from here. As both members of the Alliance and Jedi, you've been asked to lead a platoon into battle. Now, as field commissioned lieutenants, all of you are in charge of 36 other lives. All of you are equal in rank to each other, but Keyan, Luke, as Kyle has had more experience in leading ground assaults, take heed of his advice."

"I don't really know about that," Kyle replied. "I only personally led one combat mission, and I did have a senior officer there to supervise," he added, referring to his Omega Exercise on AX-456. "Not to mention only six of us actually survived."

"Six is better than none," Obi-Wan countered. "Not to mention it was still experience in leading a platoon in an actual battle. And, as a leader in this battle, I do believe you need a lightsaber," Obi-Wan said as he placed his own lightsaber in Kyle's hand.

Kyle promptly tossed it to Keyan, who had been wondering how exactly he would fare in a ground battle. "I don't need it," he replied as he drew his Bryar blaster pistol from its holster. "This is all I need…"

"Ben, do you know how many troops attacked the outpost?" Luke asked as he checked his father's lightsaber for any flaws. Of all of the Jedi trainees, Luke was probably the most nervous of the bunch. He had never even fought a land battle, and the Battle of Yavin had been his first military engagement. Yet he was strangely confident that he would survive the upcoming battle. Surely the Force was with him.

"I do not know, Luke," Obi-Wan truthfully replied. "But they were able to completely capture the outpost. I'm sure that Generals Dodonna and Willard will have more information in their briefing than they elected to give me. Remember your training; do not give in your hatred or fear. May the Force be with you."

Just five days previously, the briefing room was filled with pilots ready to defend the moon from the horrific Death Star, now it was filled with numerous squad leaders and various other officers. And, just like a week previously, General Dodonna sat at the edge of a holoprojector. He pressed a button on the projector, causing a three dimensional image of the captured outpost to appear before the gathered crowd.

"Five hours ago," General Dodonna began the briefing by saying, "we received a distress call from one of our outposts in the jungle stating that Imperial Stormtroopers were attacking them. Our sensors were unable to detect any signs of Imperial landing craft, so more than likely, these attacking Stormtroopers were survivors of the Death Star that managed to escape before Lt. Skywalker destroyed the superweapon." For emphasis, Dodonna pointed to the young hero, slightly embarrassing Luke as the majority of the other officers turned around to look at him.

"The outpost was crewed by precisely 30 sentients, all of our estimates based off of those numbers and the loss of communications with the outpost give an estimated size of 35-50 enemy Stormtroopers. We are sending in three platoons: one commanded by Luke Skywalker, Kyle Katarn, and Keyan Farlander; another commanded by Han Solo and Chewbacca; and the final platoon will be commanded by Kyp Astar. Your mission is to retake the outpost and rescue any hostages that may have been taken."

The briefing lasted for another ten minutes and highlighted the suggested plans for retaking the outpost before the group was finally dismissed by General Dodonna. As Luke clutched his borrowed Merr-Sonn Model G8 blaster rifle, he wondered what exactly a ground-based assault would be like. Other than the escape on the Death Star, he had no prior experience other than using a sporting blaster rifle to pick off Sand People that had thought about raiding his aunt and uncle's farm. And they usually retreated after a few of their number had been cut down. He could also feel the weight of his father's lightsaber on his belt, a reminder of the Jedi powers that would help him survive in the upcoming battle. He could only hope that they would be able to help any of the potential hostages taken by the Empire.


	10. Chapter X

**Chapter X**

The electrobinoculars' view of the former Rebel outpost was partially obscured by the jungle's undergrowth, making the job of observing the now Imperial facility difficult. Yet the sight of the seven Stormtroopers patrolling the north side of the structure wasn't easily missed; their white armor easily standing out against the colors of the wilderness.

What do you see? Chewbacca asked the man holding the electrobinoculars, who seemingly ignored his question. Chewbacca asked again, trying to keep his voice down.

"He said 'What do you see?'" Han Solo repeated. Solo, like all of the other Rebel soldiers were clad in green fatigues. In his hands was a Merr-Sonn Model G8, a blaster rifle that was there to supplement his own trusty DL-44 blaster pistol.

"I don't understand Shyriiwook," Kyle Katarn apologized as lowered the electrobinoculars from his eyes. "I didn't know he was speaking to me." He pointed towards the outpost with his free hand. "They've set up a good defense, all things considered. I see seven troopers; four at ground level and three on the second. There's an E-web set up on the second level as well, and two of the guards are carrying T-21's," he reported, referring to the long-barreled light repeating blaster rifles.

"I see about ten on my side," Kyp Astar reported through his comlink.

"That's seventeen accounted for," Han Solo began. "And eighteen unknowns, and that's being generous. When does this thing begin, anyway?"

"Right about now," Luke Skywalker replied as he reported the orders piped in through his earpiece from the Alliance War Room. With a quick signal the four rebel soldiers carrying blaster cannons, a group that was comprised from both platoons, took careful aim at the E-web emplacement on the second level. "Take it out," Luke ordered his two soldiers, causing Han Solo to nod his consent to his gunners.

Four large orbs of energy emerged from the jungle and converged upon the emplacement. They impacted on their target, sending chunks of stone flying out from the blast radius. The bodies of two Stormtroopers that were caught in the blast soon followed. The sounds of the multiple explosions sent the reinforcements inside of the base running to help. The soldiers carrying the T-21's fiddled with their guns as they ran to cover, while the other Stormtroopers opened fire upon the area the blaster cannon fire had originated from.

The jungle filled with red as both sides opened fire upon the other, causing several native creatures to flee in terror. The enemy blaster fire punched several burning holes into the log that the five commanders were using as cover. Both Luke and Keyan quickly dropped their guns and reached for their lightsabers. They were quickly reprimanded for doing so.

"Not yet," Kyle told his fellow students. "If you ignite those things, every single one of those Stormtroopers will start shooting at us. I don't think our cover could handle every shot."

"And there's more coming!" Han Solo exclaimed as several Stormtroopers, about twelve in total, poured out of the outpost. A shot from his DL-44 took out one before Han was forced to duck back under cover.

Even though the rebels clearly had the number advantage, the superior training and position of the Stormtroopers were able to even out the odds, and the odds were about to get worse for the rebels. The two soldiers carrying the T-21s poked their heads out from behind their cover, and opened fire upon the general direction of the rebels. Streams of red laser blasts covered the area, sending several tree limbs falling to the ground. Luke could hear the screams of the wounded rebels, and he could barely hear the bodies of those killed hit the ground.

Flaming chunks of wood erupted from the log the commanders were using as cover, but Luke Skywalker could still hear Chewbacca's roar of pain. He quickly looked over at the Wookiee, to see Chewie rolling on the ground. Chewbacca had been wounded on his leg, which had been accidentally been sticking out from the log and was hit by the automatic blaster fire. Luke and Han watched in horror as the injured Chewbacca rolled into the sights of the gunners. Luke could hear the gunfire converge a few meters behind him, the blaster shots hitting the ground and sending tiny explosions of dirt into the air. The gunfire quickly moved closer to the wounded Wookiee, and there was nothing that the soldiers could do. The blaster fire began hitting the log and then it finally came into contact with Chewbacca. Mercifully, it was quick. Luke stared in horror at the dead body of the Wookiee that had helped save his life on the Death Star as it continued to tumble down the small hill.

"You hit, kid?" Han Solo asked, snapping Luke out of the daze he was in. Luke frantically looked around, and was surprised to see Chewbacca still living and sitting behind the log.

"Chewie watch out!" Luke cried, forcing the Wookiee to shoot a puzzled look at the young Jedi. It was then that the blaster shot found its mark. Luke heard a disturbingly familiar cry of pain emit from Chewbacca's mouth, and watched the Wookiee begin the roll that would bring on his death. Luke reached out with the Force, desperately trying to prevent his friend from certain death. Chewbacca's roll began to slowly stop, yet it was still rapidly approaching the place where Luke had seen the shots end the Wookiee's life in his vision.

Chewie's tumble began to slow even more rapidly now, as Keyan quickly began helping Luke slow down the Wookiee. The injured Chewbacca came to a rest a few centimeters from the spot in which he had previously "died." Yet the gunners could still see him, and Luke could sense them begin to focus on their new target.

"Get him back to safety," Han Solo exclaimed as he rapidly moved to pull his friend from what the Jedi knew to be certain death. Luke physically reached out and grabbed one of Chewbacca's outstretched hands, and with Han Solo began pulling him back to cover. He was halfway back to safety when the gunfire began to shoot at him. Chewie roared out in pain once again as a shot pierced his other leg, right before he was back under cover.

"I think he'll be okay," Keyan said to everyone after he got a quick glance at Chewbacca's wounds. "If we get him to a medic within about fifteen minutes."

Within eighteen seconds of the Stormtroopers carrying the T-21s began firing upon the group, the automatic blaster fire abruptly stopped. Kyle ventured a look at the Stormtroopers and saw the gunners quickly get behind cover while desperately hitting the long-barreled guns. "I think now is our chance to retake this place," he told the troops. "That is if that gun hasn't had a major upgrade in the past seven months."

"What are you talking about?" Luke asked.

"Trust me."

Luke nodded, remembering that Kyle was once a Stormtrooper before defecting.

With an order both platoons, now numbering 43 men, leapt over their cover and raced towards the outpost. The surviving Stormtroopers opened fire upon the charging rebels, cutting down a few of them. Grenades thrown by several anonymous rebel soldiers exploded, cutting the Stormtroopers down to 25 men. With a snap-hiss that was barely audible over the gunfire, Luke and Keyan's lightsabers ignited. Luke swung his blue blade at the nearest Stormtrooper as the two sides collided, causing a deep gash to appear in the white armor. Two shots arced towards him, only to be reflected back towards the men who fired them. Unfortunately, both of the deflected shots missed their targets. Luke saw two Stormtroopers charge towards him, and he aimed his lightsaber towards them. With a swing, one Stormtrooper quickly became two while the other was far more lucky. The surviving Stormtrooper dodged the blade and swung his E-11 towards Luke's head. It connected with Luke's forehead with a sickening thud, causing Luke to lose his balance. With blurry vision, Luke could see the Stormtrooper adjust his blaster rifle and aimed it at Luke, intending to finish the young Jedi off. A yellow bolt quickly ended the hopes of the Stormtrooper, and another soldier soon helped Luke to his feet.

"Lieutenant Skywalker," Luke heard the soldier say. "Are you okay? You would have toast if Lt. Solo hadn't blasted that guy."

"I'm fine," Luke replied as he rubbed his forehead, feeling a small lump already forming. "How are we doing?"

"We've got them on the run, sir. They're retreating back into the outpost."

Luke quickly reactivated his lightsaber, and began to join the others as they raced towards the inside of the outpost. Several red balls of light falling down upon the soldiers blocked their charge. "Grenade!" some soldier yelled, causing the rebel soldiers to quickly fall back. The four grenades dropped by the Stormtroopers exploded a few seconds later, killing a few straggling rebels. Luke looked up at the second floor of the outpost and could see the five Stormtroopers prepare their guns, and he could also see the long-barreled rifles that had decimated the group and wounded Chewbacca. He knew that if they were able to drive the rebels back a little farther, the rapid fire would endlessly slaughter his troops. He felt the Force flow through his legs, giving them strength that would help him accomplish the feat he was planning to do. With a slight run to aid him, Luke leapt off of the ground and towards the second story of the facility.

"What the?" he heard a few Stormtroopers say as they prepared to aim their guns at the intruder. Moving on Force-aided instinct, Luke raised his left hand towards the Stormtroopers as he landed behind them. One of the T-21 gunners and a standard Stormtrooper let out a scream as they were Pushed off of the walkway. Luke turned his lightsaber towards the other Stormtrooper with the T-21 as he took careful aim at the Jedi. A three-shot burst was quickly deflected by Luke's lightsaber, two of the bolts slammed into the chest of the man who shot them, leaving Luke alone with the three remaining troops.

Luke pivoted to his side as the three white-armored Stormtroopers opened fire at him, and he could feel a slight burning sensation on his left shoulder as a lucky shot grazed him. His blue blade connected with a nearby enemy, causing an orangish-black slash to appear in the now dead man's armor. The other two soldiers slowly stepped back from the Jedi that had decimated them, firing sporadic shots at him. Each shot was deflected onto the floor, several centimeters from their feet. Luke calmly took small steps towards the retreating troops, continuing to deflect their shots back at them. It took a few seconds for the first one to fall, followed shortly by the second one, the victim of a quick slash. Luke calmly looked at the Stormtroopers bodies before leaping back down to the ground level.

The rebel soldiers were already within the main hallway of the facility by the time Luke was able to rejoin them. Blaster fire slightly chipped the stone columns that soldiers on both sides were using as cover, filling the air with dust. However, the Imperial troops were on the run. After every few shots, a small set of Stormtroopers blindly laid down cover fire as several others raced towards the end of the hall. With each retreat the Imperials took, the rebel soldiers advanced towards them.

"What's our status?" Luke asked a rebel soldier carrying a small backpack of communications equipment.

"As you can see, over here we've got them on the run. Lieutenant Astar has just entered through the south entrance and is encountering even less resistance than we are," the communications officer answered. "Lieutenant Astar is nearing the habitation portion of the facility, sir. And he's waiting for us to rendezvous with him for the final assault. He says that they've holed up in there."

It took a few more minutes until the platoons commanded by the Jedi and Han Solo managed to reach Kyp Astar's group. The sound of blaster fire echoed distantly in the background. "Are any of your men far ahead?" Han Solo asked the younger Rebel leader.

"No sir," Astar reported.

"Then what's that blaster fire supposed to be then?"

A look of horror dawned on Kyle Katarn's face as memories of AX-456 came back to him. "We've got to hurry," he said as he raced towards the sound of the blaster fire.

"What's going on?" Luke asked as he and rest of the troops quickly followed Katarn.

"Just hurry up!"

The sound of the blaster rifles firing grew louder as the rebel soldiers raced towards it, most of them wondering what was going on. At each step, the sound steadily increased in volume.

They were soon near the mess hall of the facility, a large area of the stone temple that had been converted into its present use. Kyle tightly gripped his blaster pistol in his hand and quickly swung the door open, trying to ready himself for what he knew was happening in that room.

He stared into the face of a Rodian rebel that was racing towards the now open door, hoping that this now open door would be his chance at survival. The Rodian ran less than a meter before a Stormtrooper shot the fleeing prisoner in the back. There were about twelve Stormtroopers in the room, all of them attempting to execute the eight surviving hostages that they had taken. On the floor of the mess hall, an additional thirteen bodies of various genders and species lay dead.

Kyle took aim at a Stormtrooper about to shoot an Ithorian in the back of the head, and fired off a round. The blaster bolt flew through the room and quickly impacted on the helmet of the Stormtrooper. While falling, the Stormtrooper's finger instinctively pulled the trigger on the E-11, causing the rifle to fire. The red bolts barely missed the Ithorian, who let out a loud sigh of relief from his mouths.

The rest of the rebel soldiers poured into the room, desperate to save the lives of their compatriots. Blaster bolts flew throughout the air and lightsabers slashed and deflected. When it was all over, there were no Imperial Stormtroopers left alive, and four very grateful hostages had been freed.


	11. Chapter XI

**Chapter XI**

The space over Coruscant bustled with the activity of the fleet prepared for the offense on Yavin; two _Imperial_-class Star Destroyers and four _Victory_s were supported by ten _Dreadnaughts_. Each of the Imperial ships contained more than enough starfighters and assault vehicles to take the Rebel base.

From her hiding place on the _Imperial_-class ship _Ravager_, Mara Jade silently watched as Darth Vader's private shuttle neared the flagship of the fleet: _Vengeance_. Even though Inquisitor Jerec wasn't aboard the ship, the reputation of its captain was amazing enough, for an alien, to make her think twice about sneaking aboard that ship. She hadn't personally heard of this Mitth'raw'nuruodo before she had sliced into his records, and she had barely even heard of his species. The only other Chiss she had come across in the records was a Dark Jedi that had served during the Clone Wars.

This assignment is going to be easy, she thought as Vader's shuttle disappeared against the whitish-gray hull of _Vengeance_. It was going to be easy, but she wished that she could be on the same ship as her observation target. It wasn't that she was necessarily afraid of either Vader or the Chiss captain, but there were far too many unknowns about the flagship at the moment. The Chiss was a mystery to her at the moment, and that made him a threat.

Mara waited patiently as the last of the shuttles docked with their assigned ships, not caring when a strand of red hair fell free of her black hood. In her gloved hands rested a bag that contained her new identity for this mission. In a few minutes, Mara Jade would cease to exist, and in her place would be Lt. Renna Vicines. Her cover identity was far from perfect: Renna was a moderately scoring graduate of the Caridan Academy skilled in strategies involving the A5 Juggernaut. From her position, she could easily find out what exactly Vader was doing…

Darth Vader paced in front of the viewports of _Vengeance_ several minutes later, anxious to exact his revenge on the rebels. He watched as several of the Dreadnaughts turned in the general direction of the Yavin System. It would all begin soon. The battle plan was simple: the Dreadnaughts would leap into the system first and would be quickly followed by the Star Destroyers. Several TIE squadrons would launch from the ships to escort and protect the landers carrying the assault vehicles and the Stormtroopers needed to take the base. After the landing, it would be a fifteen-kilometer journey from the landing zone to the Great Temple.

"Your talents are wasted with Jerec, Captain Thrawn," Lord Vader spoke to the blue-skinned Imperial officer sitting in a command chair.

"I do believe that my talents are not wasted at all, Lord Vader," Thrawn replied. "The Emperor has certain suspicions about Lord Jerec's motivations. I am not at liberty to say anything more." Thrawn rubbed his hands together. "It is in my view, that the fate of the entire Empire could one day rest upon me. You will see the Rebellion crushed, Lord Vader. You have my word on that."

"For your sake, I hope you are correct," Vader menacingly reminded the Chiss captain. "I will not tolerate failure in this operation." But Vader knew that there was no possible way for the Empire to fail now. There was the "little" surprise being finished at Fondor that would soon make its grand debut, as well as the project that General Mohc was planning on demonstrating in the next few months. The Empire would crush the Rebellion, but he would have his own revenge on Obi-Wan and the Force-sensitive pilot that destroyed the Death Star.

"All right Rogue Flight, you did well," Luke Skywalker congratulated the eleven other pilots as their ragtag mix of X-wings, Y-wings and Z-95 Headhunters flew towards the base.

"Very well," Wedge Antilles added. "Not a scratch on any of us."

In the weeks following the nearly disastrous rescue of the crew of the rebel outpost, the Empire had gotten into the annoying habit of having an attack cruiser show up in the system for a quick hit-and-run attack. The attacks were more of a nuisance than an actual threat, but Luke knew that that was the point. The higher-ups had told him that the Empire was more than likely trying to lull the rebels into a false sense of security, and then they would launch a major attack on the system. That was why the evacuation of the base would take place as soon as the major part of the fleet would arrive.

Yet Luke's mind was still preoccupied by the revelation that Ben had sprung upon both Leia and him.

It happened a few days after the mission that had served as the proof of the new Jedi Order's strengths. The wounded Chewbacca was about to be released from the medical center, and Ben had finally gotten the two of them into the same room at the same time.

"Luke, Leia," Obi-Wan Kenobi said as he entered the medical center. "I need to speak with both of you as soon as you finish visiting your friend." Obi-Wan looked at the Wookiee as he played another heated game of Dejarik with R2-D2.

"What do you need to speak with us about? Leia asked as she stepped into the medical center, a few steps behind the Jedi Master. The scent of bacta was fresh in the room. "If it's about me training, I still haven't changed my mind."

Obi-Wan shook his head at her refusal. "I figured as much, and I do respect your decision. However, what I need to talk with you about has very little to do with training. It has to deal with your heritages."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Leia asked as her voice distracted Chewbacca from the game, causing a move that could mean a victory to slip from the Wookiee's mind.

"It would be better if I told you both somewhere more private," Obi-Wan replied. "Meet me in the Jedi training room when you're finished with your visit.

Her interest piqued by Obi-Wan's vagueness, Leia Organa showed arrived in the Jedi training room fifteen minutes later. The Jedi Master was sitting in a simple chair next to a medium-sized holoprojector and Luke was already sitting on the floor, seemingly as puzzled over what was going to happen in this meeting as she was.

"This may be slightly hard for you both to hear," Obi-Wan began as he gestured for Leia to take a seat. "It is, however, the truth." _From a certain point of view_, he silently added. It had been hard for him to decide on what to tell the two and how much, yet he knew that there was no way that they could handle the full truth at this moment.

Obi-Wan rubbed a hand through his beard as he activated the holoprojector in the slightly darkened room. "I don't know if any of you recognize this face, it was the only one I could find on such short notice," he began as the image of a young man about the age of Luke and Leia appeared from the projector. He wore his dark blond hair short save for a long braid that ran down his head to his right shoulder, and he wore a modified version of the "standard" Jedi robes.

Luke was in shock at the familiarity of the holographic form in front of him. The image was shockingly similar to himself, and he didn't need to the see the lightsaber that was soon in view to realize the identity of the person in the image. "That's my father, isn't it?" Luke asked.

Obi-Wan nodded, making Leia begin to wonder why she was even here to begin with, forgetting Obi-Wan's cryptic response for a minute. "What does this have to do with me?" she asked angrily.

"This," Obi-Wan began as he pointed towards the image, "is Anakin Skywalker. You may not recognize him, but the next image may be far more helpful." He pushed a button on the holoprojector, causing the image to change.

Leia gasped as the image began to sharpen, wondering why Obi-Wan had used footage of her addressing the Imperial Senate during this meeting. Then the audio kicked in; a slightly unfamiliar voice began an impassioned voice to the Republic Senate. Republic Senate? Leia's mind raced as she tried to make sense of this new information, there was a woman that looked amazingly like her on one of the floating podiums of the then Republic Senate chamber.

Luke was also engrossed in the image. "Is that--," he began.

"My mother?" Leia asked, her question ending at the same time as Luke's. But how could this really be?

"You are both correct," Obi-Wan answered, his voice trying to sound calm and reassuring. Yet he knew there would be many difficult questions to answer. "Both of you are, in fact, siblings. Twins actually."

Obi-Wan watched as the faces of Luke and Leia began to show their confusion and embarrassment over having nearly fallen for each other. "If we are twins, why were we separated?" Leia asked.

"And what happened to my mother?" Luke added. "Did Darth Vader murder her, too?"

_This is the _very _difficult part_, Obi-Wan thought as he lowered his head. "The answers to both of those questions are connected," he began as the cover story Yoda and himself had concocted began to descend. "During the Clone Wars, Darth Vader and Anakin Skywalker were close friends and pupils of mine. It was at that time that Anakin secretly married Padmé Amidala, a senator from Naboo."

"Why secretly?" Luke asked.

"They married secretly because at the time, the Jedi forbade attachment of any sort, including romantic attachment. Of course, there were Jedi who disagreed with the rule and broke it.

"Soon after Palpatine issued his Declaration of a New Order, Darth Vader betrayed the Jedi Order," Obi-Wan said with a low voice tinted with regret. "When it was over: most of the Jedi had been murdered, Anakin Skywalker was another victim of Darth Vader's wrath. As was your mother. She was pregnant with the both of you when she witnessed Darth Vader destroying your father, and she herself was wounded by him. In the end, she wasn't strong enough physically or emotionally to survive the childbirth. I attempted to save them both, but I was unable to save Anakin from Darth Vader…"

Obi-Wan stood up from his chair and brought the room back to its usual light level with a slight adjustment of the light switch. "Bail Organa had apparently witnessed part of Darth Vader's attack on the Jedi Temple in Coruscant, and he was very willing to help any survivors."

Leia had known that she had been adopted by the Organa family, but in that manner? "I… was just handed off to someone?" she asked.

Obi-Wan knelt down beside Leia and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Did he love you?" Obi-Wan simply asked. "Did he do everything in his power to make you feel loved, like a daughter?" Leia slowly nodded her head. "He treated you like a daughter, Leia, and I'm sure that he thought of himself as your father. He adopted you, he did so to keep you safe and hidden from the Emperor."

"Why did we have to be hidden?" Leia asked. "Why did we have to be 'kept safe from Palpatine?'"

"Your father was extremely powerful in the Force, any children that he would have had would have been nearly equal in power. You needed to be hidden because to Palpatine, you are a threat."

Leia remained silent as the truth began to sink in, and her feelings for Vader began to surface. Vader had murdered all of her parents, adoptive and biological, and had tortured her both physically and mentally on the Death Star. He had forced her to watch as Tarkin casually told a flunky to destroy her home planet, more than likely as he had forced her real mother watch as he murdered Anakin. Her hatred for the man ran strong and flowed off of her in waves.

"I know you are angry at what I have told you, Leia," Obi-Wan began, having felt the anger coming from the young woman. "I don't blame you for hating Vader at this stage, but you must let go of that anger before it consumes you as it consumed Vader. Hatred leads to the Dark Side, Leia. I know that it's hard to let go of those feelings, but you must."

"Ben, was that why Vader murdered my father? Because he posed a threat to the Emperor?" Luke asked his teacher.

The only thing Obi-Wan could do was nod, and hope that he hadn't made things infinitely worse…

From the viewports of _Home One_ Ackbar looked out towards the few remaining pieces of the Death Star that orbited the planet of Yavin. Most of the giant space station had been vaporized during the explosion caused by the chain reaction caused by the rebel pilot that had made a seemingly impossible shot, yet some debris had remained. It had been a great victory for the Alliance, but Ackbar knew that the Empire wouldn't just roll over and die after a major victory. Not while the Emperor was still alive, at least. They would return to take their revenge, and when they did, the rebels would be ready to blast their way off of the planet…


	12. Chapter XII

**Chapter XII**

Darth Vader and Thrawn watched out of the _Vengeance_'s viewport as the blue streaks of Hyperspace reverted into stars. A bluish-green dot easily stood out from the gas giant planet that it orbited, giving the Imperials an easy view of their target. Despite the majority of the eight-day trip being over, the trip to their target would take an additional twenty minutes. Vader lowered his helmeted head to look into the crew pit.

"What are the sensors picking up Ensign Hallebeck?" Vader asked.

The ensign checked his monitor, making sure the information he was about to give his commander was accurate. "Sensors show no sign of enemy ships in the area, Lord Vader. However, they may very well be hiding behind the gas giant itself."

"No, they're not," Captain Thrawn coolly answered. "They aren't there because that is where we expect them to be." Thrawn stood up from his command chair and exited the room. He reappeared a minute later in the command pit and walked up to the sensor screen. "The Rebellion has always prided itself on sneak attacks, only in the past few months have they actually been bold enough to strike us head on." Thrawn pointed to a position to the "left" of the fleet on the screen. "They'll strike at us here," he said after a moment of thought. "Send one of the _Victory_-class Star Destroyers and two Dreadnaughts to intercept them. Tell all of the pilots and ground troops to prepare for launch." He looked up at Darth Vader. "With your permission, of course."

"Do so," Vader commanded. "I shall report to my own landing craft. I will lead the ground battle personally…"

"Get those things loaded up right now!" Lt. Renna Vicines ordered her troops as the last of the A5 Dreadnaughts backed their way into their landing crafts aboard the _Ravager._ Her section was slightly behind in preparing for the battle, an unfortunate result of Mara attempting to slice into the classified battle plans that only the command officers of the _Imperial_ Star Destroyers had access to. Being off schedule would only make things worse; it would draw unwanted attention to her that could easily blow her cover. After a few more minutes, Renna was finally sitting in the command chair of the final Juggernaut that had been loaded up into a landing craft. It was time for battle…

The last of the Rebel transports were being hastily loaded as Luke Skywalker finished the final item on his preflight checklist. The Imperial fleet had jumped into the system several minutes ago and the planetary sensors had already picked up a mass of signals that had to be TIE fighters and what appeared to be landing craft. If the retaking of the Imperial facility in the jungle had been the test of the new Jedi, this conflict would be the real test of the recently reformed fighter squadrons. "All right Rogues, report in."

"Rogue Two, standing by," Wedge Antilles replied as his fighter left the hangar floor.

"Leader, this is Five. I'm good to go," Wes Janson reported in.

"Rogue Seven, standing by," Hobbie replied. "Let's get them before they get us."

Luke overheard the other members of Rogue Flight report in as he himself steered his X-wing towards the multiple blinking signals that were displayed on his targeting computer. They were still a long distance away, still in space and heading towards the planet. "Artoo, designate the landing craft as the primary targets," he ordered the blue astromech droid. He then relayed the order to everyone under his command. "Lock S-foils into attack position," he ordered as he flipped the switch on the top control panel of his craft.

Admiral Ackbar stared at the space in front of him, amazed at what had transpired. What was supposed to be empty space was now occupied by three capital ships, a _Victory_-class Star Destroyer and two _Dreadnaught_-class heavy cruisers were roughly ten kilometers away from _Home One_ and one of the Rebellion's own _Dreadnaughts_;_ New Hope._ "Raise shields!" Ackbar exclaimed, causing one of the other Mon Calamari officers on the bridge of the vessel to follow the order. "Get the pilots to their fighters, we have to take those ships out!"

Red streaks of turbolaser fire were already beginning to pour out from _Home One_ as it began targeting the _Victory_ Star Destroyer, causing bright flashes of light to emit from the ship as they impacted upon the shields. The Star Destroyer responded in kind, a torrent of green coming from the knife-like Imperial capital ship as it sped towards _Home One_. Ackbar could easily feel the sounds of the enemy fire impacting on the shields as he sat in his command chair. Whoever was in command of the Imperial fleet was either very intelligent, or the Rebels had a traitor in their ranks. He silently hoped that it was the latter…

Thrawn watched from his own command chair as the battle began several kilometers away when the Rebel fleet had jumped into his ambush. "Ensign, how many rebel capital ships are there?" he asked, wondering whether or not reinforcements should be sent.

"Sensors show one heavily modified Mon Cal Cruiser that's much larger than the others we've seen before, two regular Mon Cal cruisers, a _Dreadnaught_ of their own, and four Corellian-made corvettes. We're also beginning to pick up several smaller figures; looks like starfighters, sir," Ensign Hallebeck reported.

Thrawn arched his eyebrows. They were certainly better armed than the early intelligence had suggested. All they were supposed to see were several transport ships and possibly one of two Mon Calamari ships, not this much resistance. "Send two squadrons of TIE fighters to help them," Thrawn ordered. "And keep those landing craft well guarded…"

"I've got a visual on the landing craft," Rogue Four reported as she squinted her eyes to get a better look at the craft that was just now entering the atmosphere. In the distance the landing craft appeared to be large black boxes, but every pilot knew that their looks were deceiving. If they managed to land on the ground, their payload could quickly be delivered, a payload that the ground troops would have difficulty in repelling. Also in the distance were several _Sentinel_-class landing craft that carried over six squads of Stormtroopers in a single ship.

"Lock on to the foremost landing craft," Luke Skywalker ordered as a wave of TIE fighters flew towards them with lasers blazing. "Rogues Two, Eleven, Nine, and Five; keep those TIEs off of our backs." Luke heard their affirmative responses as he switched his weapons to proton torpedoes. As he turned on his targeting computer, Luke also flicked the switch that removed a torpedo launcher from the fire-link. He could hear a TIE fighter explode to starboard as Wedge scored his first kill of the day, and the landing craft grew larger in his view.

The single tone of the X-wing's targeting computer establishing a missile lock rang through his helmet, and the craft itself blinked red in Luke's vision. "Fire," Luke simply ordered. Eight red streaks emerged from the X-wings, the propulsion systems creating white contrails as they soared towards the landing craft. Three of the proton torpedoes slammed into the shields of the landing craft, sending brilliant explosions several meters away from the ship and disabling the shields. Four other torpedoes all impacted on the ship's front, one of which slammed into the command center of the craft while another destroyed a majority of the main loading ramp. Deprived of controls and suffering from some decompression, the landing craft began its plummet towards the surface of the moon.

"Lieutenant, one of our Juggernaut-deploying landing craft has been shot down," the pilot of Renna Vicines landing craft informed her as the ground slowly approached.

"We'll have to make do," she answered. "Try to hasten our landing, and tell those TIEs to cover us!"

"Will do, sir," the pilot replied.

Obi-Wan Kenobi stood next to Leia Organa inside of the war room in the Great Temple, paying careful attention to the holographic display showing the ground portion of the battle. All three of his students had a major role to play in the ongoing battle and Obi-Wan's concern was to their emotional states. In battle there was always the possibility of letting the Dark Side creep in, and while more experienced Jedi where able to keep the Dark Side at bay, those with little training were far more susceptible. As he had told his students previously, even he had used the Dark Side in battle. And with Keyan having battled with the Dark Side in the past and Kyle, much to Obi-Wan's chagrin, still seething from the murder of his father, the Dark Side could very easily overcome them in this battle. The only one that Obi-Wan didn't fully worry about falling at the moment was Luke, and he hoped that his trust in the boy was well placed.

"All ground personnel, Imperials have landed. I repeat, Imperials have landed," a rebel officer reported to his charges as a holographic representation of a _Sentinel_ and another landing craft that no doubt held some sort of Imperial war vehicle touched down nearly a meter away from him. While the starfighters had had some success in shooting down the first few landing craft, the numerous TIEs and gunboats had eventually forced the X-wings to switch their concentration from the mission and to saving their own lives. He glanced over to the holoemitter containing the space battle and watched as a _Victory_-class Star Destroyer continued firing upon Ackbar's fleet.

"Concentrate all fire power on that _Victory_!" Keyan Farlander heard Admiral Ackbar order both the capital ships and the starfighters through his helmet's intercom. He turned his new X-wing, a recent acquisition that had arrived with the fleet several days ago, towards the gray wedge that now stood out against the red planet of Yavin.

"You heard the Admiral," Keyan addressed his squadron over the intercom. "Swarm on that thing the second its shields are down. Conserve your torpedoes, we're going to need them…"

"I copy, Blue Leader," one of the other pilots replied, his affirmation soon being repeated by the ten other sentients in his squadron. "We've got TIEs incoming!" the same pilot exclaimed as a squadron of the Imperial starfighters rapidly closed on the group of Alliance capital ships.

"Blue Squadron, let's take them out," Keyan ordered. A few Force-assisted maneuvers later, Keyan found the opposing leader's TIE inside of sights. Keyan quickly switched the fire-linking of his lasers from four to two for a more rapid rate of fire. A quick squeeze of the trigger sent two laser shots toward the TIE, only for their target to juke out of the way at the last second. Keyan quickly began pursuit of the fighter, trying his physical best to realign his lasers on the TIE fighter. A double tap of the trigger sent two pairs of fire towards the enemy fighter, the second shot merely clipping the right solar panel of the craft, barely enough to even shake the TIE. Luckily, Keyan's next shot was able to firmly connect with the TIE, sending a green explosion into to space that quickly died.

The TIE fighter that Luke shot down spiraled into the jungle of Yavin 4 before finally exploding upon contact with a tree. The victor turned his attention back to the battle, checking his sensor screen for the nearest target and found it to be a small group of three TIE fighters about half a kilometer away. He turned his ship towards them and silently focused on bringing them down. Artoo's shrill warning alerted Luke to the TIE fighter on his tail, and the quick shots that raced underneath his X-wing sent a rush of adrenaline through his system. He looked down to check his altitude and then suddenly pulled back on his control stick. The sky filled his vision as his shoulders dug in the crash webbing. After finishing his loop, Luke fired a quad shot into the TIE fighter's middle section, completely destroying the vessel.

Luke whipped his fighter around to pursue another TIE, which had broken off from the group. A quick squeeze of the trigger sent that TIE plummeting towards the ground. "Transports Alpha-1138 and Kappa-2243 are ready to leave the planet," Luke heard an officer inside of the Temple report. "Rogue Flight, prepare to escort them."

"Rogues, let's return to base," Luke said over his intercom. "The evacuation has begun."

Vader stood next to one of the _Vengeance_'s AT-ATs at his landing zone ten kilometers from the Great Temple. Already the ground war was about to begin as _Ravager_'s Juggernauts and AT-STs were already on their way towards the rebel base. He knew that one of Palpatine's puppets was there, and he knew that her mission was to spy upon him. If worse came to worse, a simple gesture would be all it took to kill her. If it came to that. However, at the moment she was still useful, and unaware of Vader's true reason for this attack. For him, this mission was less about the total destruction of the Rebellion, and more about Kenobi. He had already sensed a few extra Force-sensitives on the planet, an easy task due to all of them using the Force to help them in battle. There was no doubt that Kenobi had been training them; a futile attempt at resurrecting the Jedi Order that had betrayed the Empire.

He boarded the AT-AT, standing next to the commander's position, an intimidating posture that befitted the vehicle he was sitting in. While the Juggernaut was far more useful in a jungle battle than an AT-AT, primarily due to the Juggernaut's ability to simply mow most obstructions while the AT-AT had to maneuver around them, he had chosen the large walker over the wheeled vehicle for several reasons. The towering AT-AT was far more intimidating than a simple battle tank, the sight of a giant mechanical behemoth slowly marching towards you was a severe blow to morale. The Juggernauts, although an older model, also served as a painful reminder of his life as a Jedi. Even though early models of the craft he rode in now were present during the Clone Wars, the Juggernaut had seen much more use. He had even once commanded a battle from the craft.

"General," Darth Vader ordered the commander of the walker. "Begin our march to the Temple…"


	13. Chapter XIII

**Chapter XIII**

"I'm on him, Commander Skywalker," Hobbie Klivian said as he struggled to get the TIE fighter chasing Rogue Flight's commander into his sights. A quick shot from his X-wing went wide and into the jungle, causing a tree to explode seconds before a Juggernaut rolled over it. "C'mon, c'mon," Hobbie whispered to the TIE pilot as he took aim at the Imperial starfighter again.

The TIE fighter fired two pairs of shots from its laser cannons towards Luke Skywalker's X-wing, one of which impacted with the shields. Luke felt the ship vibrate with the hit as he continued to attempt to avoid the fire of the TIE as well as provided a clear shot for Hobbie. Ten meters below him were the tops of the trees that would spell certain doom to pilot that got too close, and this gave Luke an idea. Angling his shields to double-back, Luke dove towards trees. The TIE pilot hesitated for a second on whether or not to follow the seemingly suicidal pilot, and that gave Hobbie the perfect shot. The two red laser shots hit the right wing support of the craft, tearing the wing off and sending the now non-aerodynamic fighter into the trees.

"How far are we from the transports, Artoo?" Luke asked as he regained his lost altitude.

FIFTEEN KILOMETERS, MASTER LUKE, the astromech droid reported. SENSORS REPORT A SQUADRON OF TIE FIGHTERS AND AN ADDITIONAL SQUADRON OF BOMBERS HEADED IN THEIR DIRECTION. ACCORDING TO CALCULATIONS, WE SHOULD ARRIVE THERE BEFORE THE ENEMY DOES.

"Head towards the transports, Rogues," Luke ordered as he slightly adjusted his course. "We need to make sure they leave the moon safely."

The crew of the Juggernaut flinched as the X-wing's stray laser blast nearly incinerated them, all but Renna Vicines that is. Despite knowing that the shot could have easily punctured through the hull of the military vehicle she rode in, she knew that the shot wouldn't have hit her vehicle even before it had been fired, a result of her training in the Force. The sound of a crashing TIE fighter was also of no concern to her. Her primary attention was on the AT-AT that carried Lord Vader, an AT-AT that was at least five kilometers away from her current position.

_So, he's on the move,_ Mara thought as she continued to spy on her target. _He's headed towards the Temple base, more than likely. Luckily that's the same place we're headed to…_

"Sir!" one of the pilots broke her attention. "We've come under enemy fire!"

As Mara looked out of the viewport of her vessel, she could see the yellowish bolts of the laser emplacements headed towards the vehicles under her command. While low-powered, enough good hits could eventually destroy her vehicle. "Take them out," she calmly ordered.

A few seconds later, several missiles emerged from the Juggernaut. Missiles that wreaked havoc on the emplacements, causing the rebels manning the emplacements to fall back. The blaster aboard the vehicle soon cut down some of the fleeing rebels.

The explosion underneath him scorched the bottom of Keyan Farlander's X-wing as a well-placed turbolaser shot from _New Hope­_ breached a portion of the ­_Victory_-class Star Destroyer's hull. The green fire from the point-defense guns blazed around him, but never actually found their target. Despite all of the activity going on around him, Keyan had little idea of what was actually happening. The Force was now almost completely controlling his actions. His ship dodged the automatic blaster fire that surged around him, headed towards the bridge of the Star Destroyer, which was still 100 meters away.

The sound of his astromech screaming out a warning broke Keyan's concentration, forcing him back into the reality of the battle. After such usage of the Force, he felt exhausted. It was almost as if he had been flying for over two days, instead of the hour that had really happened. He had heard Obi-Wan warn of the dangers of an inexperienced student drawing upon the Force too much, and had even heard of a few Jedi that had actually died as a result. The elongated bridge section of the Star Destroyer loomed in front of him, prompting Keyan to activate his targeting computer.

"Lock onto the bridge, ForKay," he ordered his astromech. The R3 astromech droid whistled a response, which was soon followed by the image of the droid attempting to achieve a missile lock.

The TIE fighter that had managed to break away from the other fighters of Blue Squadron carefully lined itself behind the single fighter that was headed towards the capital ship that the pilot had called home for the past eight months. The pilot squeezed the triggers on his craft, sending two pair of green laser shots towards the offending craft. The first pair struck the rear shields of the craft, more than likely disabling them. The second pair hit the ship itself, a glancing blow that did little but throw the craft off balance.

"I know shields are down, just try and get them back!" Keyan exclaimed as he sluggishly attempted to dodge the still incoming shots of the TIE fighter behind him. ForKay whistled another warning as another TIE fighter joined the fray. _I've got to get back to the _Independence,Keyan thought as he was forced to break off his attack run, the two Imperial fighters still following him closely.

Admiral Ackbar continued to watch as _Home One_ and the rest of his small fleet continued to exchange fire with the Imperials that had ambushed them. In the distance he could see the two _Imperial_-class Destroyers, three other ­_Victory_'s and eight other _Dreadnaughts_; it was almost as if the commander of the Imperial fleet were taunting him. Two of the Corvettes had already been destroyed or heavily damaged, and the _Independence _was taking heavy damage at the moment. _At least those _Dreadnaughts _have been destroyed as well,_ Ackbar thought. _That and the Star I've got up my sleeve_, he added with the Mon Calamari equivalent of a grin.

Two Corellian Corvettes sped towards the _Victory_, the two turbolasers and four laser cannons on each craft blazing. The _Victory_ opened fire on the Corvettes, looking as if it were trying to swap at two very annoying flies. The turbolasers of both _Independence _and _Home One_ fired upon the Star Destroyer, the shots that hit opening up huge holes in the now battered hull. The killing blow was struck by _Home One_, a round of turbolaser blasts that slammed into the bridge of the ship, instantly killing every officer in that section. Deprived of control, the _Victory_-class Star Destroyer began to drift aimlessly in space before a final volley resulted in the explosion of the craft.

"Send out a shuttle to pick up any of our pilots that were forced to eject," Ackbar ordered. "And prepare a microjump towards that fleet. Ackbar to Captain Ferricost, begin our plan in ten minutes…"

The clanking sound of an AT-ST walking combined with the sound of its double blaster cannons to make the jungle of Yavin 4 a hellish environment for the defending troops. The white armor wearing Imperial Stormtroopers continued firing upon the rebel soldiers as they fled towards the nearest piece of cover. ST-486's vision dimmed as an explosion caused by the scout walker exploded nearby, causing his helmet's visor to darken to protect him. His squad slowly advanced towards the fleeing troops, continuously shooting at them. It was then that he saw what he believed to be a peculiar site; an unarmed rebel soldier actually running _towards_ them!

"Stupid suicidal reb," ST-486 remarked as he pivoted to aim his E-11 at the rebel soldier. "Get him, men!" he ordered his squad. The rebel soldier was now halfway to the Stormtrooper squad. _That's funny,_ ST-486 thought. _They don't usually run that fast…_

It was then that a blue light emitted from the rebel's right hand, giving the Stormtroopers a little more than a second to realize their fate. This was no suicidal rebel soldier, it was a Jedi… ST-486 attempted a three-round burst upon the Jedi that was now extremely close to him, but all three of his shots were quickly deflected. He heard the death scream of two of his compatriots, more than likely killed by the shots he had fired. A blur of blue light caused a several centimeter deep slash in another Stormtrooper's armor, and he was quickly followed in death by a soldier to ST-486's right. An extension of the Jedi's left arm sent another flying into a nearby tree, the barely audible crack of that soldier's neck breaking reached 486's ears through the audio amplifier in his helmet. He raised his blaster rifle towards the Jedi, only for the blue blur to come his way again. A slight sensation of pain ran down his left arm as it was severed by the blade before his finger could pull the trigger, and then the blue blur was headed directly towards his neck…

Kyle Katarn deactivated his borrowed lightsaber after killing the shorthanded squad of Stormtroopers, eyes darting around the battlefield. There were no more immediate threats besides the AT-ST that was headed towards him. He watched the AT-ST turn towards him, and Katarn suddenly felt the need to dive to his right. As he did so, the explosion caused by a launched concussion grenade threw him an additional meter. As he picked himself off of the ground, Kyle Katarn began thinking of ways to bring that AT-ST down.

"I've got bombers on my scope," Wedge Antilles reported as the two transports began to lift off.

"I copy Two," Luke replied as he too checked his sensor scopes. Rogues Two through Six, we've got the bombers. Seven through Twelve, cover us." The sounds of several double clicks confirmed that his flight had received their orders.

As he turned his X-wing to face the enemy squadrons, Luke could see the bombers. They looked eerily like the fighter that Darth Vader had been using above the Death Star; the tips of the normally straight solar panels of the TIE fighter had been angled towards the middle of the craft, and what seemed like an extra cockpit attached to the hull of the ship. The identity of the "extra cockpit" was well known to Luke, however. That section of the craft was the bomb bay…

The two groups of fighters flew towards each other head on, an extremely dangerous situation for both sides. Green and red fire flew between the starfighters, some finding their targets while others went wild. Luke heard the death scream of Rogue Four as one of the TIE bomber's laser cannons found their mark. Luke's own shot found its way to one of the bomber's bomb bay, the resulting explosion decimated one other bomber and three of the escorting fighters. "Rogue Leader to Rogue Flight," Luke reported to the other pilots, eager to report on the weaknesses he had discovered. "Aim for there bomb bays, we can take out more of them that way."

"I copy, Rogue Leader," Wedge replied as he looped around to get behind the enemy fighters. "Try to lock onto that section of the bombers," he ordered has astromech droid as he switched to his proton torpedoes. "Well do the best you can!" he yelled at the droid after receiving some bad news.

Luke waited patiently as the TIE fighter in front of him did his best to shield the bomber that was the rebel pilot's true target. Closing his eyes, Luke drew in on the Force, asking for its help to shoot the bomber down before it could deliver its payload on the rebel transport that was currently five meters off of its landing pad. What seemed like an internal voice ordered Luke to fire, causing him to almost immediately squeeze the trigger. A quad blast emerged from his laser cannons and shot past the guarding fighter and into the back of the bomber's cockpit. The destroyed bomber fell to the ground only meters from the _Gallofree_ transport. There were now four bombers left.

Two of those remaining bombers had much more luck than their predecessor as they made their attack runs on the transports. Four bombs dropped onto the oval-like ships, the explosions causing severe damage to the hull of one. As soon as the first attack run was over, the other two ships attempted to capitalize on their success.

Rogue Three was right behind the two bombers, followed by Wes Janson. The Bothan pilot fired two shots at the bomber closest to him, unfortunately missing the craft. A third shot merely grazed the craft, not even doing enough damage to significantly alter the craft's trajectory. "I need a little help here," Moresk Lim'nef said over his intercom.

"I'm on your back, Three," Janson replied. "Pull back and cover me." Wes Janson switched his lasers to fire a quad blast and took aim at the bomber that Moresk had missed. The resulting shot hit the bomber on the support for its right wing, dislodging the wing and causing the bomber to begin its short fall to the ground below. It never hit the ground however… The momentum of its flight continued to guide the falling craft into the white hull of the transport. The bomber exploded once it hit the hull of the craft, causing a major breach to occur. The power began to fail, and the wrecked transport fell the ten meters to the ground, where it landed with a sickening crash.

Luke closed his eyes once again as the other bomber began the process of dropping a bomb upon the remaining transport. Once again, as they had in the Death Star trench, he felt his hands being guided by something else entirely. Seemingly on its own, the X-wing was positioned towards the bomber. Guided by the Force, Luke fired towards the TIE. A shot from each of the X-wing's four laser cannons raced towards the ship, the top two blasts passed over Janson and Lim'nef's X-wings by a little over 60 centimeters and converged with the bottom two less than a meter below the bomber. The shots converged upon the bomb itself…

The resulting explosion wreaked havoc upon the TIE bomber's underside, throwing it into the air before it began its death spiral towards the ground below. Thanks to the additional upward thrust from the explosion, the crashing bomber missed the second transport entirely. For a few seconds complete intercom silence occurred before the realization of what happened dawned upon the other pilots.

Darth Vader was now seven kilometers away from the Great Temple and was disturbed from his thoughts of revenge by a giant surge in the Force. It had come from the same general direction as the AT-ATs target, but a little farther away. And it felt familiar to something he had experienced before. Disturbingly familiar. It was no doubt that same rebel who had destroyed the Death Star; the very same rebel that had made him a laughing stock in front of the Imperial Court. Anger began to surge through him as he remembered the painful lightning bolts that sprung from his master's fingertips, the price of his failure.

The anger began creeping up through his body again; his failure here before, the nearly fatal wound he received at the hands of Kenobi… And then it stopped as Vader realized one important thing. Anger was good, and it was powerful. Yet it was anger that led him to his failures before. There was a time and place for unleashing that anger, and in the middle of a large scale battle was not the place. Barring any major resistance on the way, the trip to the Great Temple would take a little over twenty minutes. Darth Vader knew that a lot could go wrong in twenty minutes in a battle; but he also knew that several things could change for the better.

Obi-Wan looked concerned as he watched over the holographic representation of the battle that was unfolding outside. It seemed as if even the command was losing hope at a victory; General Dodonna himself had disappeared several minutes ago and his whereabouts could not be discerned. Also of concern was the lone AT-AT that was slowly lumbering its way through the jungle. Obi-Wan knew who was commanding that particular vehicle; it was Vader himself. He also knew that short of calling down an air strike on that walker, which would divert much needed protection away from the transport, there would be no stopping him.

"He's on that walker, isn't he?" Leia Organa asked Obi-Wan, who could sense the anger in the young woman rising.

"He is," Obi-Wan simply replied. "Don't do anything foolish," he calmly warned. "If you do remember, you have recognized my rank as general in the Clone Wars as valid in the Alliance as well. I don't want any innocent people to die because of a vendetta that would no doubt lead to the Dark Side. Leia, you must let go of your hatred of Vader. It will only consume you in the end."

"I know," Leia conceded. "It's so hard to let it go, though."

"You must try to remember that what happened in the past is the past; nothing can change it. Besides, the Dark Side controls a person. It twists them into something vile and evil. Darth Vader was once a very good man, before his fall."

"It's hard to imagine," Leia replied. "After all of the evil I've heard that Vader has done."

"Things were different then," Obi-Wan said. "The Clone Wars hadn't turned all of us into something were never meant to be. Jedi were supposed to be defenders of peace, not instruments of warfare." Obi-Wan had figured it out in the past two decades that that was what the Clone Wars were all about. They were supposed to kill as many Jedi in the field as possible as well as turn as many of them to the Dark Side as possible. He pushed the thoughts of the past out of his head and focused on the present. "It is about time for us to get to our transport, Princess."

"About five minutes," Leia replied as she began to think about what the transport was, and who was flying it. There was the Wookiee copilot, who by all accounts was a pretty nice being, but it was the ship itself. To put the condition of the ship in polite terms, the ship was a piece of junk that had nearly fallen apart from the assault of a few sentries. And the pilot was a man who seemingly cared mostly about money, although in the past few days he had been invaluable to the Rebel cause. And he seemed to hit on her every chance he could get. "I can hardly wait," she added in a low, sarcastic voice.


	14. Chapter XIV

**Chapter XIV**

The soldier-Jedi ran from tree to tree as the blaster cannons of the AT-ST fired their ordinance at him. The slow heavy blaster cannon kicked up dirt and vaporized plants as their shot missed its mark. The slightly more maneuverable light blaster cannon on the right side of its head followed closely behind. The pilots inside of the nearly nine meter tall walker pivoted their craft towards away from the fleeing rebel and towards the shrinking forms of the fleeing rebel troops and quickly let loose another concussion grenade. With an explosion, the pilots could barely see the bodies of the dead rebel soldiers as they were sent flying from the impact zone.

Kyle Katarn looked at the AT-ST as it turned to fire upon his retreating troops from the "safety" of a tree. In truth, the only safety that hiding behind a tree truly offered against a walker was the potential of them not seeing him. He scanned the terrain as carefully as he dared, trying to find some way to actually get on top of the walker as it continued its trek towards the fleeing rebels. It stopped and began to turn his way again. _Spast! They've spotted me,_ he thought as he raced away from his cover. As he sprinted towards another large tree he could here the very audible crack of the tree as the twin blaster cannons hit the trunk. The sound of the top half of the tree crashing to the ground soon followed.

The AT-ST walked its way towards him, the guns of the walker slowly aiming at his hiding place. _Just ten more meters,_ he thought as he checked his lightsaber to make sure it still hung on his belt. _Just ten more meters…_

Luke Skywalker hung his head down in shame as the transport he was protecting exploded just over a minute after they had broken free of Yavin 4's atmosphere. _Thank the Force it was primarily cargo_, he thought, yet he knew that the passengers he had been assigned to protect were probably better off dead than what would eventually happen to them. The _Gallofree_ transport that had been forced down by the bombers a few meters off of the surface of the Rebel controlled moon would be evacuated by the no doubt numerous survivors of the crash. And those survivors that couldn't race to another transport with enough room for them would either be executed or captured. It was his first taste of real failure.

Thrawn overlooked the battle as the remaining rebel ships began to engage his entire fleet. _Surely those fools have something else other than this pitiful attempt_, he thought as he surveyed the holomap of the space battle. _There has to be more ships waiting to "ambush" us. But where are they going to come from?_ Thrawn pondered this as he studied the occasionally flickering holographic images. After a few moments of thought, he pointed towards a section. "Strengthen our defenses here. This is where they're going to strike at us next."

The_ Ravager_ and one of the remaining three _Victory_-class Star Destroyers broke off from their easy work of attempting to destroy the transports that were making their way off of the moon. The four Star Destroyers began to slowly move towards their new target; the place that their commander had ordered them to go. The operators of the turbolasers on each ship soon reported readiness to their captains and the TIE pilots soon repeated the phrase.

The attack came from the opposite direction.

Thrawn looked on in surprisingly calm horror as two Mon Calamari cruisers reverted from hyperspace in the clear space to the _Vengeance_'s starboard side. The Mon Cals were soon followed by what appeared to be three small and fat variations of Star Destroyers that Thrawn identified as _Acclamator _assault ships, a design that had seen great use during the Clone Wars before the _Venator_-class Star Destroyers were created. The rebels had struck exactly when the Imperial fleet was at its most vulnerable, leaving Thrawn only with his ship, three _Victory_s and seven Dreadnaughts to fend off one heavily modified Mon Calamari star cruiser, four "regular" Mon Cal cruisers, three ships that were essentially Star Destroyer prototypes, and two moderately damaged Corellian Corvettes. The odds weren't good and Thrawn had to do something, and it had to be done fast.

The rebel reinforcements raced towards a point in between the Imperial fleet and the escaping transports, fully intending on protecting the transports. The two fleets opened fire on each other, spreading red and green destruction throughout space. Bluish flashes emitted as the vessels shields took the brunt of the shots while starfighters from both sides raced around each other, the pilots trying their best to get a clear shot at their enemy.

The fooled Imperial ships slowly began to turn around, desperately wanting to rescue the flagship of the fleet. Whenever a turbolaser operator believed he had a free shot at a rebel ship, they opened fire. However, fate and the distance between the ships conspired, causing the gunners to miss their targets.

"Looks like Ackbar and Kenobi's plan worked," Keyan Farlander mused as he quickly checked the power remaining in the magcon field that was his only defense from the deadly cold of space. Ten minutes had passed since he had been forced to eject from his damaged starfighter, leaving the rescue shuttles that were moving around picking up the surviving pilots twenty minutes to rescue him. "ForKay, what's the situation on the rescue?"

I'VE GOT CONFIRMATION FROM SHUTTLE #1138 THAT THEIR HEADED YOUR DIRECTION. E.T.A. IS ABOUT FIVE MINUTES, THEY'VE GOT ANOTHER PILOT TO PICK UP BEFORE THEY CAN GET TO YOU, ForKay replied as "he" continued to scan the military frequencies. LOOK TO YOUR "DOWN" AND YOUR "LEFT"

"I can see the shuttle and their escorts now," Keyan replied as he struggled to maneuver in the void. "No signs of the other pilot, however."

IT IS DOUBTFUL THAT YOU'LL SEE HIM OR HER, ForKay replied. HUMANOID EYES ARE NOT MADE FOR SUCH A TASK.

"Thanks for the compliment, Forkay…"

The AT-ST continued its walk towards its target, the guns of the walker were just about in position. The gunner of the large vehicle began firing, sending the energy burst towards the ground. _Run towards it…Now!_ The feeling hit Kyle Katarn as the walker began firing towards his hiding place. The shot landed behind him, sending up dirt and the ashes of the plants in the blast radius that weren't vaporized. Eyes trained on a fallen tree near the AT-ST, Kyle kept running towards his target. With each step he hoped that his plan to take out the AT-ST would actually work. It required some fairly competent timing combined with a precision use of the Force. One misstep would ruin the entire plan.

A simple jump brought him onto the fallen tree. As he prepared to make his second leap onto a stout branch of a tree a few meters away, he concentrated upon what he wished to do, almost seeing himself accomplish the normally impossible leap in his mind. Only a second after he had jumped towards the tree branch, his boots found it and his hand quickly moved to the trunk of the tree to prevent himself from falling. The AT-ST was now about even with the end of the branch, causing Kyle to run towards it. It was difficult to keep his balance upon the branch, but using the Force to help him, Kyle was barely able to keep running on the branch.

With a final leap, he found himself standing on the top of the walker, staring down at the no doubt sealed hatch that led to the interior of the vehicle. He removed the lightsaber from his belt and pointed it towards the hull of the walker.

"Did we get him?" the copilot of the AT-ST asked as he scanned the area for any signs of life.

"I think so," the pilot said. "Those rebels retreated to the southwest, towards our main target. I'm returning us to that heading right now."

A beam of blue light appeared from the roof of the vehicle, causing the helmeted pilots to quickly look behind them. The beam of light slowly moved around the hatch in a circular motion, quite clearly cutting it's way through the hull of the vessel.

"What the kriff is that?" the pilot asked as he turned towards the copilot.

"How am I supposed to know what it is? Open the hatch and find out!"

"I'm not going to open the hatch, you open it!"

The pilots continued arguing until the now completely cut through portion of the hull fell to the floor of the vehicle with a loud thud. Daylight quickly drowned out the artificial lighting of the vehicle as the cylindrical form of a fragmentation grenade slowly floated down towards them.

"I assume both of you know what this is," a voice on top of the walker said. "Hand me your weapons, barrel down, before I can count to ten." The grenade slowly floated back up to its wielder. "Or that grenade is coming back down, with an altogether different reaction. One…two…"

The Imperial pilots quickly scrambled to pull their blaster pistols out of their holsters before the activated grenade could fall down towards them. The copilot quickly handed the pistols to their captor, hoping that their lives would be spared.

"Lieutenant, one kilometer from target area!" Mara heard a subordinate officer report.

"Prepare our troops for deployment then," she ordered. "Is there something else?"

"Yes sir. We've gotten a transmission from the pilots of one _Ravager_'s AT-STs. They're trapped in a tree…"

"The AT-ST is trapped in a tree?" Mara snorted.

"No, just the pilots…"

The AT-AT slowed to a stop just under two kilometers from the Rebel base, the product of several obstacles that the walker could not avoid. The 40 troops garrisoned within disembarked from the 22-meter tall walker. Darth Vader was among them. As the Dark Lord of the Sith looked in the sky, he noticed the lack of any rebel transports retreating from the base and into the waiting guns of Captain Thrawn. _All of them must have retreated then_, Vader thought as he walked through the undergrowth of the jungle.

"Keep alert men," Vader reported as he looked towards the trees for any sign of enemy movement. The Stormtroopers, twelve of which carried the heavy repeating T-21 Blaster rifles, raised their weapons in anticipation for the attack that would never come.

Almost as quickly as the rebel reinforcements had arrived in the system, the major space battle between Ackbar's rebel fleet and Thrawn's Imperial fleet had ended. The reinforcements had acted to shield the retreating transports as well as attempt to bring down at least one of the _Imperial_-class Star Destroyers. Luke Skywalker eased his X-wing next to the _Millenium Falcon_ and slightly behind the _Moldy Crow_. The TIE fighters were still trying to destroy the transports, but the major combat had stopped. The Imperials had taken a heavy blow from the rebels; two _Victory_-class Star Destroyers, one of the _Imperial_s, and almost half of the Dreadnaughts had been either destroyed or heavily damaged. Yet the Rebels had taken heavy damage as well. Two regular Mon Calamari cruisers were destroyed and one of the _Acclamator_s had to be evacuated. There was no doubt that those that escaped from that ship would end up in the hands of Empire, if they didn't kill themselves to prevent themselves the agony of Imperial imprisonment first. And the worst part of the battle was that out of all the transports that had lifted off of the moon, only about 80 of them had managed to escape. About 200 lives had been lost on the transports alone.

Darth Vader stared at the bruised face of Jan Dodonna as the elderly traitor began to plead for his life. He would get no mercy, at least not until he told Vader what the Sith wanted to hear. A prosthetic foot slammed down on Dodonna's back, pinning him to the ground. "Now 'general'," Vader taunted his prisoner. "You will answer the questions I ask of you. If you answer correctly, you get to die quickly." Vader grabbed the general's shirt and lifted him off of the ground. Vader gazed into the terrified eyes of his prey, knowing that, on most people, the sight of the seemingly soulless black would intimidate them. He had seen the look in eyes of the captain of the _Tantive_ _IV_ before this whole mess had begun. Vader gripped Dodonna's neck, applying a slight pressure to assure his prisoner of his seriousness. "Answer me, traitor, the pilot who destroyed the Death Star and who made my landing here difficult was trained by Kenobi. Am I correct?"

"I'm not telling you anything!" Dodonna spat out, causing Vader to tighten his grip on Dodonna's neck. As his throat began to burn from the pressure and his head began to spin from lack of oxygen, he could feel Vader's grip loosen.

"I am not without a heart," Vader replied, his mechanized voice making the sentence sound horribly wrong. "Now tell me if Kenobi trained the pilot who destroyed the Death Star."

"He did," Dodonna finally relented. "Kenobi trained three of our ranks in the Jedi arts. The Jedi shall rise again, Lord Vader! Despite your attempts to wipe them out, they will bring back the Republic. Long live the Republic!"

Vader fought back against his anger, the need to snap the pathetic traitor's neck as he continued to spew his anti-Imperial catchphrases. In fact, he found it hard to remember how many people had said those exact words before or while he had killed them. Yet he needed answers. There was something about that pilot; something oddly familiar. "The Jedi Order is long dead, and any resurgence will be quickly taken care of. Now, what is his name?"

"That's classified information," Dodonna replied, hoping to protect the life of one of the Alliance's best pilots as long as he could. "I'll die before I tell you his name, or the names of the other trainees."

"That can easily be arranged," Vader replied as he moved his free hand to retrieve his lightsaber.

His courage failing, Dodonna did what he had to do to survive, or at least die quickly. "Luke," he began. "His name is Luke Skywalker!"

If Vader's arm were organic, his grip on the rebel general would have surely failed him. It was a lie. It had to be. There was no way for that pilot to be who he is. Surely it had to be another Skywalker; the surname wasn't that widespread but it was certainly possible.

Yet the boy _was_ Force-sensitive, and far more powerful than the average Jedi. But how could it be? He had seen a holorecording of Padmé's funeral, and it was quite obvious that she had still been pregnant in her open casket. Yet there was no other way for that pilot to exist. His child had survived and was being trained in the ways of the Force by the man he claimed to hate the most. The small portion of Darth Vader that was still Anakin Skywalker felt pride at his son's accomplishments, only to be quickly drowned out by the majority of him that was Darth Vader.

There was a presence nearby, just now exiting the turbolift and heading towards the audience chamber. _The Hand_, he thought. _If she were to know, then the Emperor would surely know. That will complicate things_, Vader thought, not truly knowing what "things" that the Emperor would complicate. "Where has Kenobi gone!" Vader angrily asked Dodonna, who seemed both extremely confused and extremely frightened over the actions of his interrogator in the past minute.

"I won't tell you!" Dodonna yelled at the black mask in front of him as a redheaded female walked into the room.

"Enough, Lord Vader," she said as she walked up to the tall Sith. "Remember that all Rebel officers that we've captured are supposed to taken to Director Isard for 'conditioning.'"

Dodonna could mentally see Darth Vader smile underneath his helmet as the shame of what he had done flooded over him. He had failed to destroy the Temple while the Imperial troops had flooded into it after everyone but him had evacuated, and he had given the Empire what could be vital intelligence. He was thankful, however, for not revealing the location of the Rebel base. He could only hope that he could hold out under whatever conditioning that the Imperials had in store for him.


	15. Chapter XV

**Chapter XV**

Captain Thrawn waited patiently near the airlock where Darth Vader's landing craft would soon arrive, knowing that when Vader stepped out onto _Vengeance_, the black-armored Sith would certainly kill him for the mistake. He had planned his demise efficiently; a simple explanation of the Rebel deception that he had fallen into and a sincere apology for losing far more Imperial ships and crewmen than was truly necessary for the operation. He expected that he would be halfway through his explanation before he found his throat constricted by this Force Vader frequently used.

"Lord Vader," he began as the airlock hissed open almost simultaneously with the sound of a mechanical intake of breath from the former Jedi.

"I will expect your report on the battle before we arrive at Coruscant, Captain," Vader replied as he stepped onto the deck of the warship. With no further words, Vader continued his march towards his personal chambers. Thoughts ran through his head as he walked towards his destination. They were mostly about how what had been said under an hour ago could be true.

"I? I couldn't have! She was alive! I felt it!" Those words spoken nearly two decades previously reverberated inside of his mind as he still struggled to come to grips with the recent revelation. A part of him struggled to deny the truth of what the tortured Dodonna had stated. After all, how reliable is he information gained from torture? Reliable enough. As he neared his chambers, Vader did his best to push all of this new information aside. He needed to be able to hide this new information from the Emperor.

"Lord Vader," the scarred and wrinkled face of Emperor Palpatine said as the holographic image flickered into life two minutes later, "I take it the subjugation of Yavin 4 went well?"

"Yes, my master," Vader replied as he kneeled. "Our attack force was able to drive the rebels out of their base. They were ready for us, however. I did not foresee the ambush we were being led into… The _Ravager _was lost, as were several _Victory_-class Star Destroyers. In retaliation, we were able to capture or kill several of their ground forces. Captain Thrawn's report will have far more details than I am able to report at the present."

"Very well, my apprentice, I shall see you upon your return to Coruscant."

"I was going to request a sabbatical, master," Vader replied.

"To follow up on that lead about a surviving Jedi, I assume?"

"No master. Bast Castle."

The spire of Bast Castle seemingly jutted out of a metallic extension of a cliff as Vader's TIE fighter flew towards it. The dark clouds of Vjun's sky continued to send forth their deadly acidic rain that could kill an unprotected organic being within a minute. The acidic rain was harmlessly pelting the advanced prototype that Vader was flying, just as it would harmlessly effect the armor that Vader required to live.

With a simple keyed in command, the doors to the spacious hangar were opened, allowing Vader access to his retreat. He docked his TIE Advanced into one of the open spots and was happily surprised at the lack of any crewbeings that rushed towards his ship to refuel it and perform routine maintenance. There were a few droids, however, that moved around the hangar floor in their own unique ways. An R3 unit rolled next to a GONK power droid as the latter droid continued its recharging duty of several needed components.

Vader climbed out of the cockpit of his fighter and took a turbolift down towards the floor of the hangar and towards his training room.

A simple press of a button caused a sealed door to open on the other side of the room from Vader's position. A second passed before three yellow lightsaber blades sprung into existence from inside of the small room. A fourth potential assailant remained completely motionless as its brethren moved into the wide-open room. Another press of a button caused four large pillars to rise up out of the ground, providing several potential areas for an ambush in the arena. Vader removed the lightsaber from his belt and ignited it, causing the red blade to emerge from the hilt. Upon hearing the sound of their opponent's lightsaber igniting, the three lightsaber wielding droids quickly reacted by moving into attack position.

The three droids dispersed throughout the room, trying to surprise the opponent that they (or any of their predecessors) had never been able to get the best of before. One of them entered Darth Vader's field of vision, a red and nightmarish mockery of normal humanoid sight, causing the Sith to raise his lightsaber into a simple defensive position. Servomotors in the arms and wrists of the droid caused the lightsaber to blur as it began to spin. The anger that had been slowly rising inside of Vader's mind was unleashed upon his metallic opponents.

A wild swing from Vader's lightsaber cut a small slice into a column as the droid quickly moved out of the way of the red beam of destruction that threatened to damage him once again. The droid swung his lightsaber towards his opponent, at the same time noting the positions of his allies as they closed on their mutual opponent.

Vader easily blocked the droid's swing after a very brief struggle to free his lightsaber from the column. A surprisingly fluid turn from Vader caught the second droid's lightsaber with his own before the blade could sink into the black armor. A powerful attack by Vader swung towards the droid and nearly knocked the attached lightsaber out of the droid's hand. Before Vader could press further upon his attack, he had to quickly deflect another incoming attack from the first droid. From the side came the third droid, ready to join in on the battle.

As Vader moved away from his three robotic opponents, he could almost see the droids take the appearance of those he hated the most. The first droid resembled the current form of Obi-Wan Kenobi; a seemingly weak old man who hid his true powers and evil under a simple guise of a trusted friend, not unlike his other opponent. In his mind's eye, the second droid resembled the hooded visage of his own Master. _I should have decapitated him when I had the chance, _Vader thought. _It would have been easy, and he would have let me_, Vader remembered that day when he had the chance to prevent all of this from happening. He could have killed Palpatine and prevented this whole mess from happening.

The final droid was the most startling image of all. Dressed in black robes was a younger version of himself. The scariest thing about this vision, however, was the fact that he couldn't tell whether or not the figure represented Anakin Skywalker or Darth Vader. "Obi-Wan" charged towards Vader with surprising speed, lightsaber arcing overhead to strike at Vader. Vader moved his own lightsaber onto its side to block the strike, then quickly reacted to a stab attempt by "Sidious" by swiping the incoming blade away from his body. His anger directed at these three individuals made him far more powerful than he normally was. The mental image of himself joined in on the fight, sending several quick strikes towards Vader. A quick slash to the neck of "Obi-Wan" caused the droid to drop to the floor, sparks emitting from its short neck.

"Sidious"' attack coincided with another attack by the other image, causing Vader to spin around to avoid the two attacks. A powerful stab caught "Sidious" in the chest, leaving Vader alone with the mirror image of himself. Mentally, Vader could see the eyes of his opponent flickering from blue to yellow as it approached him. The two lightsaber blades clashed with a sound that echoed throughout the room as Vader dueled the droid.

The droid, oblivious to the mental struggle that was going on inside of his opponent, initiated Attack Pattern Gamma III, a series of maneuvers that was composed of quickly spinning the lightsaber in a circle to make the opponent wary, and then follow through with a small set of powerful diagonal swings towards the opponent. Like he was supposed to do, Vader slowly backed away from the whirling dervish as it approached him.

Seeing the mirror image of himself heading towards him, Vader's hatred consumed him. What he was fighting against was the real enemy, the real cause of everything that was wrong. It was unfortunate that Vader still couldn't tell which version of himself he was fighting. Raising his free left hand towards his enemy, Vader unleashed his anger. A bright orb of dark side energy formed from his mechanical hand and was soon released upon the figure.

The bright orb hit the droid in its chest and it drove it towards the wall. The resulting explosion sent a deafening sound throughout the room, and sent up loads of durasteel debris. As Vader's vision cleared, he viewed the destruction caused to the room; one of the metallic columns was severely damaged, one of the droids he had destroyed with his lightsaber was damaged beyond repair while the one hit with the orb of Force Destruction was part of a pool of rapidly cooling slag inside of the impact crater. Using the Force to push a button on the thankfully still functioning control panel, Vader summoned a repulsorsled in which he put the body and the severed head of the droid. The rest of the mess would have to be cleaned up at a later time.

He pushed the repulsorsled into the small work area he had prepared. Gently clearing parts to a golden protocol droid away to make room for his newest project. Vader was reaching for the tools needed to repair the partially mangled training droid when the fatigue finally hit him. The long flight from _Vengeance_ to Vjun had sapped a lot of energy from him, but the technique he had just used was very exhausting, far more exhausting than any other Force technique he had used before. Vader uttered a curse as he replaced his tools and placed a cloth across the droid to prevent dust from accumulating in it.

Inside of his meditation chamber, Vader could finally rest. He could also meditate on all of the revelations that had occurred. He hoped to find some explanation from the Force about how this whole "Luke Skywalker" business was possible. Inside of the sanctuary of his meditation chamber he was allowed the freedom to actually regret the things he had done. It was unfortunate that far too often the regret turned into anger and hatred. It was no different that night; save for the fact that the anger came into being slightly later than it usually did…


	16. Chapter XVI

**Chapter XVI**

With the maneuvering of a lever, the bluish streaks of hyperspace reverted back to stars through the viewport of the _Millenium Falcon_, showing the passengers the dead system that served as the Rebellion's rendezvous point. There were already several other rebel ships in the area; a feat that normally wouldn't be possible due to the _Falcon_'s topnotch astrogation computer. The other ships beating the quick Corellian freighter was a simple matter of security. After all, having a ship bearing two of the Rebellion's top leaders leap blind into a system without an escort had all of the potential to be a devastating loss.

"Were we followed?" Leia asked as she strained in her crash webbing to look over the shoulder of Chewbacca.

Scopes are negative at the moment, Chewbacca replied in his usual growl. Save for a few other Rebel ships.

With a flash that surprised a few of the people aboard the _Falcon_ the rest of the Alliance fleet soon appeared. The hulls of the various ships were "decorated" with carbon scores of various sizes, the result of the various impacts of lasers from an assortment of ships. It was the first time that Han Solo, Chewbacca, Leia Organa, and Obi-Wan Kenobi had been able to truly study the devastation that the Imperial fleet had wrought on them. One of the lumpy outgrowths of one of the surviving MC80's was nearly wiped off of the ship due to the heavy turbolasers of the Star Destroyers, and three of the eight engines of a Corellian Corvette had been disabled by a particularly pesky flight of TIE fighters. Yet the worst of the damage was relegated towards the sole surviving _Acclamator_ assault ship. The Star Destroyer ancestor was marked with several hull breaches from serving as a shield for the rest of the transports. It was fortunate that the ship had been manned with a skeleton crew, but there were sure to be many casualties in that crew.

"We weren't ready for capital ship combat, weren't we?" Leia rhetorically asked as she continued to survey the damage.

"They knew what they were doing," Obi-Wan stated as he too viewed the Alliance fleet. "Their sacrifices must be honored, not mourned or avenged. With their help, we were able to escape from the clutches of the Empire."

"Listen to him, your worship," Han Solo said as he kicked on the sublight engines as he prepared to pilot the freighter towards the Alliance flagship. "I still may not be entirely into this revolution, but at least I'm still alive for the moment." This comment made Chewbacca growl a response. "I know how you stand on this issue, buddy, but I'm still not entirely certain that this whole rebellion thing's going to work," Han replied to his friend's statement. "I know the stories of the battles of both Kashyyyk and Alaris Prime and how you served with the Jedi on both of those missions. What I don't understand is how you could fight with this guy," Han said as he pointed to Obi-Wan, "at Alaris Prime and then just a few months ago call him a 'damn fool' like you barely knew him."

Knew him in his youth or not, Chewbacca replied, you have to admit that going through a tightly guarded Imperial battlestation alone is a pretty foolish thing to do.

"It is only foolish if one is unsure of the results," Obi-Wan replied to Chewbacca, silently reminding himself that he had entered the combat with Vader fully intending to sacrifice his life.

"A handy philosophy for a Jedi," Han stated under his breath.

"I am certain that you have operated under that philosophy before in your smuggling career," Obi-Wan countered.

Han shut his mouth, unable to properly counter the Jedi Master's statement and at the same time unwilling to concede defeat. "I've just got landing clearance from _Home One_," Han said a few seconds later, hoping to change the subject.

Home One's main hangar was almost a miniature version of the entire fleet that could be partially seen through the light blue force field that protected the pilots from the vacuum of space. X-wings sat with hideous looking carbon scores on them, a few had an S-foil or two sheared off from the assault. Astromech droids that had been welded to their starfighters by an extremely close shot warbled and "screamed" to the technicians and repair droids that struggled to free them. 

"Artoo? Artoo, where are you?" Threepio said as he struggled to get his voice heard over the din. "I do hope that you and Master Luke are fully functional."

"From the reports that I heard," Obi-Wan said as he turned to face the anxious droid, "Luke was completely unharmed during the battle. A lot of other pilots weren't so well fated, however," Obi-Wan added as he passed a Y-wing missing one of its engine nacelles that gave the fighter/bomber its nickname.

"That's an understatement," Han Solo replied as he too looked at the damaged ships.

"Master Luke! Artoo-Deetoo!" Threepio exclaimed shortly before stiffly jogging to his friends' sides. The excited warbles and beeps from Artoo began relaying war stories.

A nearly exhausted Luke Skywalker walked up to the group of his friends, happy to finally be out of the cockpit of his X-wing after the long flight. "I'm fine, Threepio," he replied to the golden protocol droid. "I'm glad to see all of you managed to get out of that place," Luke addressed the passengers and crew of the _Millenium Falcon_. "I heard from some of the other pilots that General Dodonna wasn't able to escape. Is there any truth to that?"

Obi-Wan nodded in response to Luke's question. "I'm afraid that it is true. We lost contact with him just before Han and Chewbacca evacuated us from the base. At least we didn't lose any other important leaders back there," Obi-Wan conceded.

"Master Kenobi, Princess Organa, Luke," Kyle Katarn greeted the first few people he saw in the growing group, which now included a few other pilots trying to speak to either Leia Organa or Obi-Wan about a variety of things.

"Greetings Kyle, Jan," Obi-Wan said, acknowledging one of his students as well as the woman walking next to him. "It's good to see that both of you are alive."

"Well it would certainly be odd to see only him," Jan Ors said with a slight smile, "I was his ride out of there."

"It probably wouldn't be odd to see only her, however," Kyle remarked.

"I told you before, there were two AT-STs in a close area. How was I supposed to know that the one that I was targeting was you? At least I missed." Jan stopped as she saw the blank stares of the group, people who were unaware of the source of the friendly banter that had just taken place. "Long story," she explained to them.

"I'm certain that I will eventually hear all about it," Obi-Wan replied.

Kyle Katarn removed the lightsaber from his belt and handed it to Obi-Wan. "Here, it came in handy during the battle."

Ysanne Isard brushed a strand of white hair away from her face as she briskly walked through the halls of the headquarters of Imperial Intelligence. Her eyes; the right one an icy blue while the left was a fiery red, darted throughout the corridor, searching for her destination. Her title of the Director of Imperial Intelligence was only recently awarded to her, an award for her years of service as a field agent under her father. The father that she had set up for execution.

Her destination was a medium-sized room within the headquarters; a dark room that was illuminated only by several holoimages and screens. Two agents sat next to a large control board that was connected to the holoemitters and the video screens, their young faces illuminated by the very machinery that they commanded. On one of the video screens was an image of the white-clad arm of a Stormtrooper holding an E-11 blaster rifle as he fired at rebel soldiers in the jungles of Yavin 4, an image captured by the cameras inside of the helmet. A second later, the image quickly become static as the helmet was struck by a rebel sniper. Ysanne watched the images for a few seconds before deciding to make her presence known.

"What was it that you wanted to show me?" she asked, making the two agents slightly jump in their seats from her cold voice.

"We were analyzing the data gathered by the helmet cameras from the recent operation," the agent replied to his superior officer. "I found something interesting on ST-486's cam." With a few keystrokes on the control board, the image of a rebel soldier racing towards the Stormtrooper appeared.

"A suicidal rebel?" Isard asked, unknowingly echoing one of the final thoughts of the Stormtrooper that witnessed the actions on the screen first hand. "What is extraordinary about--" her voice fell silent as the rebel soldier switched on what could only be a lightsaber, "that…" she mouthed. "A Jedi?" she asked, wanting an additional confirmation of the obvious.

"Yes ma'am," the first agent replied.

"And there's more," the second added as he froze the image as the Jedi's face was clearly visible. "I ran the face through the Imperial database. I went through _everything_: criminal records both planetary and Imperial, age approximations of missing Jedi younglings, and Imperial service records."

"And you found something," Isard replied.

"Yes we did, and it was in our service records."

Leia opening her eyes from a simple meditation exercise marked the end of a short training session aboard the Alliance flagship. All of the other students save her brother had already left the new training room, and he was working on repairing the electrical components of a training remote that had been severely roughed up. A few hours after landing, she had finally been convinced by both Obi-Wan and Luke to at least attend a few of the lessons that Obi-Wan had been giving.

"Something is troubling you, Luke," Obi-Wan said as he placed the completely functional training remote back into its storage case.

"How did you know?" Luke asked in confusion as he finally finished repairing the droid.

"Your thoughts betray you, as do your actions," Obi-Wan answered.

"My actions?" Luke questioned.

"Your father used to repair things when something was troubling him," Obi-Wan said. "What's troubling you?"

"It's about the battle," Luke began as he brought up the memories of his failures above Yavin 4. "I can't help but feel that I failed all of those people in the transports that I was supposed to protect. How many lives were lost due to my mistakes…"

"It's a feeling that almost every soldier in a war gets, Luke," Obi-Wan reassured the son of his former student. "I'm even sure that the clone troopers during the Clone Wars felt the same feelings. No matter what you may think; those transports were not shot down because of some fault that you did, or because you weren't trying to save them hard enough. There was nothing more that you could have done."

"Imperial ID #F1595-S1603; Kyle Katarn," Isard reported the findings of her crew to Emperor Palpatine two days later. The Emperor's unnerving yellow eyes studied the holorecordings of the deaths of ST-486 and his squad as well as Katarn's Imperial service file. Isard also noted that Palpatine's court dancer was also taking an interest in her presentation as well, something that puzzled her. "Graduated from the Imperial Academy on Carida nearly a year ago and defected later. He single-handedly infiltrated an Imperial base on Danuta shortly thereafter and stole the definitive defensive schematics of the Death Star," Isard continued, still wondering why Palpatine would allow a mere dancer listen on such classified information.

It was shortly after Isard had finished her findings on 1/3 of the new Jedi Order when Palpatine broke the silence in his throne room. "A barely trained Jedi breaking into a guarded Imperial facility alone and taking valuable schematics, another young Jedi destroying the very object that those schematics were a part of," he mused.

"Not to mention the unsubstantiated reports of two pilots pulling off 'inhumanoid' maneuvers during the battle," Mara Jade added. "We could assume that one of those two pilots was the same man who destroyed the Death Star."

"Three, possibly four, extraordinarily powerful Force-sensitives are being trained by one of the more proficient Jedi survivor of the Sith's revenge," Sidious stated. "How is it possible that I have not foreseen this?" The question was rhetorical, yet it weighed heavily on the minds of both of the Dark Side users in the room.

"We could always make an attempt at infiltrating their new Order," Mara suggested, hoping that she would be the one to be chosen. With her years of training in the Force, she could easily kill all three or four of Obi-Wan Kenobi's students without even breaking a sweat. After all, they could only have a few months of training at most. Kenobi on the other hand; he would be a challenge to kill, more than likely out of her league.

"No," Sidious rebuffed her idea a few seconds after she had suggested it. "Kenobi would be quick to discover a traitor in his midst. It is far too risky. There are other ways to deal with this rabble."

"The Inquisition," Mara simply stated.

"Yes," Sidious replied. "Every major ground operation we take against the Rebellion will have a Dark Jedi or Sith in a command position," he ordered. "Unless Mohc's prototypes are truly what he says them to be…"

On the _New Hope_, Obi-Wan Kenobi sat in the office of Mon Mothma, waiting for the meeting that was about to take place. Obi-Wan did think her concerns about the reemerging Jedi Order were justified, but in a way he couldn't shake the feeling of being stuck in bureaucracy.

"Master Kenobi," the auburn-haired leader of the Alliance to Restore the Republic said as she placed a datapad down on her desk. "I assume you know the reason that you are here?"

"You wish to know whether the Alliance or the Order comes first to my students," Obi-Wan replied. "It's a fair question. This new or rejuvenated Jedi Order, whatever you wish to call it, doesn't follow a lot of the rules that the old Order did. I'm not forcing my students to choose between being a Jedi or being a soldier or operative to the Alliance, any choice that they make regarding that will be theirs, not mine."


	17. Chapter XVII

**Chapter XVII**

Through the main viewport of the _Millenium Falcon_ the planet of Tatooine slowly spun on its axis as the Corellian-constructed ship exited hyperspace. Han Solo looked at the desert planet as the _Falcon_'s sublight engines pushed the craft towards it.

"Never thought I'd be back on this planet so soon," the smuggler/rebel remarked to Chewbacca.

You had to pay off that debt sometime, Chewbacca answered, and taking Obi-Wan and his students there to pick up some Jedi supplies was a perfect opportunity.

"You're right about that," Han replied, "hopefully Jabba hasn't already placed that huge bounty on my head."

Our heads, you mean, Chewbacca replied as he began to prepare the ship for atmospheric flight.

"Bounty? What bounty?" Luke Skywalker replied as he entered the cockpit of the vessel.

"A little while before we took you and Kenobi to what was left of Alderaan, me and Chewie were running spice for Jabba the Hutt," Han began his tale. "We had picked up some children from the slave world of Ylesia after the Rebellion had liberated it, and we were about to drop them off at a nice Corellian orphanage. It was on the way there that Jabba sent on a little errand to pick up a load of spice from Kessel; being a little strapped for credits, we took the spice run."

"With children aboard the vessel?" Luke questioned.

"It seemed like a good idea at the time," Han replied. "Them being aboard the ship certainly saved my hide when the Imperials caught us. We managed to jettison the cargo of spice into the asteroids near The Maw before the Imperials could catch us, but when we went to retrieve it, it was gone. I still swear that it was a setup," Han exclaimed.

"And now you have to pay Jabba the money that the spice would have cost?" Luke asked, putting the knowledge of the situation together with information gathered from an organized holodrama he had once seen.

"And a percentage," Han answered. "He's already sent a bounty hunter after me, a relatively inexperienced one, as a warning."

Chewbacca roared something that Luke couldn't translate. "Better go back and tell the others to get into their crash webbing," Han translated. "We're going to be entering the atmosphere within the next two minutes. Wait a second," Han said as Luke began to walk out of the cockpit. "So your Leia's brother," he remarked. "Do you think maybe her and me…"

"As her brother, I would strongly advise against it," Luke said before walking out.

"What do you know?" Han casually asked as he turned his attention back to the ship. "The guy's her brother and he's _still_ in the way." Chewbacca laughed at his friend's misfortune as the _Millennium Falcon_ began to enter the outer edges of Tatooine's atmosphere.

Luke Skywalker hadn't thought about Tatooine ever since he had first set foot aboard the _Millennium Falcon_, and now he was back on his home planet. The heat radiating off of the desert sand was absorbed by the boots that he wore, and the twin suns beat down upon him. Luke gazed at the outdoor merchants that frequented the areas near the docking bays as they peddled their wares to whoever was interested.

"I guess it's time we went our separate ways for a while," Han Solo said as he and Chewbacca entered one of the two rented landspeeders. "Me and Chewie are going to pay back Jabba what I owe him. If I haven't contacted you in an hour, you know what to do. Follow the transmitter we have planted in Chewie's bandoleer."

"Are you sure you don't want any backup?" Obi-Wan asked him. "Hutts do have a reputation, you know."

"We'll be fine," Han said. "You four watch yourselves, however. You've been getting a lot of attention from that blonde woman over there," Han warned the Jedi, motioning toward the potential threat with a subtle movement of his head. "Don't look now," he cautioned as Luke began to turn around. "Sure _you_ don't need _my_ help with that?"

Obi-Wan closed his eyes and searched the immediate area with the Force, and found the Dark Side within their pursuer. "We can handle this on our own, and on our own terms," he said.

"Whatever you say," Han Solo remarked as he drove off towards Jabba's palace.

I have a bad feeling about that, Chewbacca growled as the landspeeder exited Mos Eisley. You think that woman was with the Empire?

"I don't know, Chewie," Han honestly answered. "I think I remember seeing her around docking bay 94 before we left Tatooine, so it's possible. "Do you think we should turn back and give them a hand?" Han asked.

It's up to you, we're not halfway to Jabba's palace yet, Chewbacca replied, I would personally suggest going back.

"I think you're right," Han said as he quickly turned the landspeeder around, the noise of the crates of credits colliding filling the air. "Do you have any idea about where they are?"

Obi-Wan said something about the Dune Sea, and that it was several kilometers north of Anchorhead, and several south of Mos Espa.

"Anchorhead, huh? That's relatively near us, isn't it? Do you have your comlink?"

Got it, Chewbacca said as he removed a comlink from his bandoleer before handing it to Han.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi, this is Han Solo. I repeat: this is Han Solo."

"We're kind of busy right now," Obi-Wan replied, the sound of blaster fire being caught by the other comlink.

"We're on our way," Han Solo quickly said. "Where are you?"

"Somewhere in Mos Eisley," Obi-Wan answered, "that woman must have called in the local garrison not long after you departed."

"So look for the blaster fire," Han said as the landspeeder reentered Mos Eisley.

"I can't believe it," Han Solo said as he and Chewbacca hid behind a crate near the battlefield. "Four Jedi and a group of smugglers against an Imperial platoon."

The scene in front of them was nearly pure chaos as Stormtroopers hid behind cover while trying their best to kill their opponents. The four Jedi were hunkered down near a grouping of durasteel crates, while the group of smugglers that had had enough of the Imperial presence on the planet were taking their shots at the Stormtroopers from behind doors and other building parts.

"Time to make ourselves known?" Han Solo asked as he checked his DL-44 blaster pistol.

Chewbacca aimed his bowcaster towards the nearest Stormtrooper before grunting an affirmative.

"Move out to a new location as soon as we fire," Han said before giving the order to fire. His first shot slammed into the spine of a Stormtrooper, sending the dying soldier into convulsions as he fell to the ground. Chewbacca fired his bowcaster less than a second later, the green-colored quarrel hitting an Imperial trooper of its own.

Attacked on two fronts, the Stormtroopers nearest to their two dead comrades turned to face the new assailants. Aiming towards the fleeing Han Solo and Chewbacca, the Stormtroopers opened fire, causing the red blaster fire to hit a nearby wall and send adobe flying through the air.

As the blaster fire began to concentrate on him, Han Solo ducked into a door for cover, relishing the protection that it offered from the enemy. He quickly risked a glance to search for Chewie, and found the Wookiee almost comically hiding behind an extremely small crate. Han aimed towards a Stormtrooper facing his area of the battlefield and squeezed the trigger, only for the shot to go wide.

"Captain Solo," Han heard Keyan say over the comlink over the din of blaster fire, "is that you past the platoon?"

Han pulled the comlink off of his belt as he ducked back into his cover, his blaster pistol ready to shoot whomever came near him. "Yeah, it's me and Chewie. I think we have a couple of smugglers headed our way to. Can you imagine this?"

"Check the friendly fire," Keyan replied. "I think that last shot you took almost hit Master Kenobi in the chest. You're lucky he was able to deflect it back into a Stormtrooper."

"Tell him I'm sorry about that," Han apologized as he took another shot at a Stormtrooper, leaving another white-armored body on the desert floor. Out of the 32 Stormtroopers that had begun the conflict with the four Jedi, only 20 of them had remained.

"I think you should do that yourself," Keyan replied as the Jedi-in-training telekinetically sent a box of discarded landspeeder parts into the head of a Stormtrooper, knocking the Imperial soldier unconscious.

Han looked from his cover, slightly blinking as the red streaks of blaster fire rushed towards the wall. Through the thinning ranks of the Imperial platoon he could see the Jedi defensive position; the blue-colored lightsaber blades of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker peeking out from the hiding place and deflecting the enemy fire, and the sustained blaster fire from Kyle Katarn and Keyan Farlander rushing towards the enemy lines. Soon, the Imperial ranks had fallen to 15, thanks to some well placed shots by Chewbacca and what appeared to be a Chadra-Fan mercenary. The one-meter tall rodent-like sentient aimed its gun towards another Stormtrooper, and easily took his or her target down.

Han squeezed off another shot at a Stormtrooper, only for a green bolt of energy to slam into the chest of the enemy as Han's shot hit home. Han looked up at Chewbacca before quickly returning to the safety of his cover, and saw the Wookiee equivalent of a grin plastered on his friend's face. _We both hit him at the same time,_ Han thought. "What are the odds of that?" _I bet that annoying protocol droid of Leia's knows_, he added.

Five minutes later, it was all over. The combined forces of the Rebel Alliance/Jedi and a handful of local smugglers had killed or knocked out all but seven of the Imperial troops, who had promptly surrendered. Keyan and several of the less reputable combatants were busying themselves in securing the surrendering Stormtroopers, while the other members of the temporary alliance were standing on guard, looking for more Stormtroopers that were bound to arrive as well as the blonde-haired woman that had started it all.

"Where is she?" Han Solo asked as he surveyed the carnage.

"No idea," Luke said as he began to liberate the fallen Stormtroopers of their unused energy cells. "She vanished as soon as the firefight started."

"I have feeling we might see her again," Kyle added as he replaced the dead energy cell in his blaster pistol with a fresh one.

"We should get out of here," Obi-Wan quickly said as he walked towards the assembled group. "The Empire is going to be here any minute, and with many more troops."

"That's not a bad idea," Hand replied as he accepted a new energy cell from Keyan, who was busy passing them out. "Chewie, we need to get out of here!"

Jabba's palace rose out of the desert sands, the metal and stone structure contrasting against the blue of Tatooine's sky. "Let's get to business," Han Solo said as he stepped out of the landspeeder and began to walk up to the main entrance. Out of a hole in the door came a simple looking spherical droid. The external covering of the droid slid away, revealing an eye-like device in the middle.

What is your business here? the gatekeeper droid asked in Huttese.

"I'm Han Solo, and I'm here to repay Jabba that debt I owe him," Han replied to the droid in Basic.

The droid paused for a second, seemingly considering what the smuggler had to say as well as asking the security to permit entrance to the visitor. Another second later, the droid closed its "eye" and went back into its resting-place. With a rumble, the giant door began to slide upwards into the building, revealing the dark insides of the palace.

Han Solo and Chewbacca stepped into the entrance on the palace, and were quickly flanked by two Gamorrean guards. The two porcine guards, the two tusks that jutted out of their mouth bared in an effort to further intimidate the two guests, carried their vibroaxes near to their chest, blocking Han and Chewie's path.

_This could either turn really good, or very, very bad,_ Han thought as the staredown continued. "Why don't you put those things down and let me conduct my business with Jabba?" he stated.

A search of the crates in your landspeeder is needed first, an almost courtly voice stated in Huttese from down the hall. From out of the shadows stepped a pale humanoid with two headtails ornately wrapped around his neck.

"What's the matter, Bib?" Han asked. "Jabba can't trust me anymore?"

With the activity that occurred a small while ago, he has reason to be suspect of anyone entering his abode. Not to mention the new friends you've been hanging around with, Jabba's Twi'lek majordomo, Bib Fortuna, replied.

"The Rebellion, you mean?" Han asked. "I really don't think that that's any of yours or Jabba's business."

Jabba would more than likely think differently, Bib Fortuna replied. I will notify his Excellency of your arrival, however, the Twi'lek said as he turned to walk towards the court room.

A band comprised of solely non-humans was playing a bluesy tune as Han Solo and Chewbacca were led into the room where Jabba was holding court. There were several other sentient beings in the room, an eclectic mixture of both aliens and humans that comprised of almost every region of the galaxy. Jabba, the head of the Desilijic Kajidic, lounged on top of a large repulsorsled, enjoying the music being played by the band as well as the sights of the many dancers/slaves that pranced around the floor. The group of guards that had initially stopped Han and Chewbacca now followed behind them, pushing a hovering cart that carried the crates. The music ended soon afterward, replaced by the continued conversation of the other beings in the room. Jabba's voice quickly quieted them down.

Han, my boy, Jabba spoke, his voice boomed throughout the chamber, sending the Huttese words echoing, it's good to see you again!

_Only because I'm paying you thousands of credits, I bet,_ Han thought.

I'm glad to see that you have _finally _decided to repay me for that cargo that you lost, Jabba continued.

"What can I say, Jabba, I finally got around to it," Han joked, waiting for the inevitable order that would attempt to end his life.

The corpulent Hutt laughed at the joke one of his best smugglers had made. After several months. I was worried that I was going to have to pay Boba to bring you in, Jabba said as he pointed to the Mandalorian armor-clad bounty hunter that was standing against a wall.

"I got a little sidetracked, but it's all there, even the 20 penalty that you originally wanted me to pay," Han replied, causing a look of surprise to cross over the Hutt's face.

I assume that you mean your association with the Rebellion, when you mentioned being sidetracked, Jabba replied after he downed an amphibious creature from the bowl near his sled. I've heard that you've become quite the hero, even more so than after Nar Shaddaa, he said, referring to a four-year old battle that pitted a group of smugglers against the Empire. It was a battle that the smugglers had won; a battle that had made the Empire think twice about using force against the Hutts.

"Yeah, the Rebellion," Han answered. "Bunch of stuck-up rich kids trying to play revolutionary with daddy's money," he lied. "At least they pay good."

So I can see, Jabba said as he greedily eyed the crates filled with credits. I should make sure you are in debt to me more often.

_I bet you would you bloated…_ Han continued to think as Jabba continued to eye his prize. "Well, if that's all you need, I'll be going," he said. "Let's go, Chewie."

"I can't believe that the fat slug actually let us go," Han Solo exclaimed as Jabba's palace disappeared in the distance. "For a second there, you know: when he brought Fett out, I thought we were dead meat. I wonder why he did keep us a live, and I doubt it's out of the goodness of his own heart."

Have you checked the landspeeder for any tracking devices? Chewbacca asked.

"Yeah, I did," Han replied as he pulled a small device from his pocket. "Found this near one of the repulsors. Don't know what to do with it, though. We obviously can't take it with us to Obi-Wan Kenobi's hut."

Give it to me, Chewbacca said as he held out his hand. I have an idea. Chewbacca accepted the small tracking device and began holding it in his hand. Getting a good grip on the object, he took aim at a large sand dune and let the tracking device fly. The Wookiee watched as the tracking device sailed through the air and land near the top of the dune.

"Nice work, Chewie," Han said. "Too bad we're not going to be around to see the looks on their faces when they come looking for four Jedi and us and find only an empty sand dune. It was a waste of good credits, though," Han lamented about the several thousands of credits that he had given to Jabba the Hutt. "If I had known what he was planning, I wouldn't have paid him at all."

You know the saying about hindsight, Chewie replied. You're trusting of people, it's a good trait to have.

"Not for a smuggler," Han Solo remarked.

Something tells your career as a smuggler is essentially over; at least it is for the Hutts.

"You think?" Han sarcastically replied. "I'm going to be lucky if I leave this _planet_ with my head intact. Jabba's probably halfway to Mos Eisley to bribe some people into telling him where the _Falcon's _docked. By the time we get what Kenobi's come to this planet for, Jabba's going to have his toughest goons just waiting for us. Not to mention what the Empire is probably going to do…"

You worry too much, Chewbacca simply stated.

"Who said anything about being worried?" Han said. "Bunch of bounty hunters and Imperial scumbags gunning for us, the odds being firmly out of our favor, and the best chance for victory rests upon good luck and/or a lot of skill. Sounds like the good ol' days. This is going to be fun!"


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

"So, what should we tell them?" Han Solo asked Chewbacca as the two ex-smugglers drove their rented landspeeder towards the location that Obi-Wan Kenobi had told them to meet with him and his three Jedi students.

How about 'There's going to be some major trouble in store for all of us when we get back to the _Falcon_?' That might work, Chewbacca suggested.

"Honesty, huh?" Han asked. "It might work."

I can see Obi-Wan's hut up ahead, Chewbacca reported as the hut began to appear on the horizon.

The hut was situated near the edge of a cliff, providing the exiled Jedi Master a commanding view of the surrounding area. Han presumed that the area was chosen to help Obi-Wan be prepared for any potential Imperial problems. As Han neared the hut, he could see two of Obi-Wan's students, presumably Keyan and Kyle, loading what appeared to be a small furnace into the other landspeeder.

"What's with the furnace?" Han asked as he pulled the landspeeder to a stop near the hut.

"It's supposed to be for creating lightsaber crystals," Keyan Farlander replied as the Rebel pilot pulled a tarp over the furnace to protect from the double suns.

"You can create those things?" Han Solo asked.

"I haven't seen it in action," Keyan replied, "but that's what General Kenobi says."

Luke Skywalker walked out of the hut, carrying what appeared to be a large leather-bound book. "I've got the book on how to actually create the lightsabers," he replied as placed the book into the landspeeder. "That should be it."

A few seconds after Luke Skywalker had finished packing up the lightsaber creation materials into the landspeeder, Obi-Wan Kenobi stepped out of the hut that had been his home for nineteen years. "Not quite everything," he said as he placed a small container into Han's landspeeder. "A Jedi of the Old Order didn't have many personal possessions, but it seems that sometimes things can be acquired all to quickly…"

"What's in there?" Han asked, curious about what the possessions were and how they could be acquired too quickly for the old man's taste, as well as instantly regretting asking the question. He had a sneaking suspicion that it had something to do with the Clone Wars, but there was no real proof.

"All that remains of friends long gone," Obi-Wan replied, a look of sadness beginning to form on his face as he remembered. "There is no death, only the Force," Obi-Wan quoted the Jedi Code, "but the Code says nothing about fondly remembering those that have gone."

"I can agree with that," Han replied, remembering an old love that had been killed. "I'm sorry I brought it up."

"There's no need for that," Obi-Wan replied as he began to step into the landspeeder. "You had no idea. How did your meeting with the Hutt crimelord go?" he asked.

"Not well," Han replied. "He placed a tracking device on our landspeeder--" At the mention of the tracking device, the weapons carried by the Jedi were quickly out. "Can you please let me finish?" Han asked as the Jedi prepared for what they believed to be an inevitable attack. "He placed a tracking device on our landspeeder, but we were able to find it and drive Jabba's thugs on a wild bantha chase," he said with a grin on his face. "Right now, Jabba's thugs are probably digging through a sand dune in search of a secret Jedi compound that doesn't exist. "Although, you might want to be on guard on our way back to the _Falcon_," Han warned. "Jabba can be considerably resourceful, and not to mention that the Empire is going to be prowling the streets."

"Thanks for the warning about Jabba," Luke replied, "we pretty much guessed that the Empire was going to be after us once we reached Mos Eisley."

"We'll be ready for them," Kyle Katarn replied, leaving Keyan wishing that he was behind the controls of an X-wing rather than about to face another ground battle.

The open-aired skiff closely followed the two landspeeders through the streets of Mos Eisley, the Nikto and Weequay thugs aboard it firing their blasters at the Jedi.

"I can't believe they found us already," Han Solo exclaimed as blaster fire impacted near him.

Jabba has some good sources, Chewbacca replied as he fired his bowcaster towards one of Jabba's hired thugs. The quarrel hit a Weequay right in the chest, dropping the leathery-skinned scoundrel's body tumbling into the desert sand.

"Luke, you better duck!" Han Solo yelled out to his friend, who was trying his best to stay standing in the back seat of the landspeeder. The young Jedi deflected a blaster shot with his lightsaber before quickly turning around to see what he was supposed to duck. A large ronto was walking across the road, pulling behind it a load of mechanical supplies. Knowing that Han was more than likely intending to drive the landspeeder _under_ the walking beast of burden, Luke quickly hit the back seat of the landspeeder. The underbelly of the large beast loomed overhead the landspeeder, sending the unpleasant odor of the creature into the noses of all in the landspeeder.

Luke quickly stood back up in the landspeeder, using his hand to steady himself as the landspeeder swerved to avoid some pedestrians in the road. Once again, he ignited his father's lightsaber, sending the blue beam of light into existence. The skiff swerved around the ronto, causing the thugs aboard to focus on the second landspeeder. The blaster fire was quickly deflected by Kyle, and was returned by Keyan Farlander.

"Pull up next to the skiff," Luke told Han after receiving a signal from Obi-Wan Kenobi, who was driving the second landspeeder.

"You've got it," Han Solo said as he slowed the landspeeder down and began to steer the craft towards the skiff, evading the incoming blaster fire. In the distance, he could see Obi-Wan steering his landspeeder towards the skiff as well. "You two aren't going to do what I think you're going to do, are you?" Han Solo asked as the crazy image of both of the Jedi leaping from the speeding landspeeders and onto the skiff popped into his head.

Luke simply nodded.

"You Jedi are crazy, you know that? Not that I probably wouldn't do it myself, but you're crazy."

As the landspeeders neared the skiff, the two Jedi leaped from their perches and landed on opposite sides of the skiffs. Two quick lightsaber swings brought down two of the thugs, bringing the count of Jabba's mercenaries on the skiff down to three, not counting the pilot. Luke Skywalker brought his lightsaber down across the barrel of a blaster pistol, rendering the thug all but useless. A quick punch knocked the Nikto out, sending his body to the floor of the skiff. Another swing from Luke severed the arm of a Weequay, taking down the final thug on the skiff. Kyle, on the other hand, had taken a more violent bent on dispatching the thugs on his side of the skiff. A severed head had landed in an outside vending stall, and the body that it was originally attached to lay on the floor of the skiff. Another dead body was propped up against the railing, and the pilot had bailed out of the skiff and into the awning of a building.

"Overall, I think that went well," Han Solo said as he raised the landing gear of the _Falcon_. The heavily modified Corellian freighter was now hovering over the docking bay, ready to exit Tatooine's atmosphere.

"In a way, I have to agree," Obi-Wan Kenobi answered as he adjusted his crash webbing. "Despite overwhelming odds from both the Empire and Jabba's thugs, we managed to get away without a scratch and with the supplies we needed."

"Why all the risk though?" Han asked as he hit the main thrusters. "Aren't there other ways to create lightsabers?"

"Unfortunately, most of the places used to gather lightsaber crystals, a key component for how the lightsaber works, is tightly guarded by the Empire," Obi-Wan explained to the unknowing smuggler. "Not to mention that even if we were able to get our hands on two or three crystals, it's been a long time since I had to build a lightsaber. I'm sure that when I look through that book that I'll find things about the process that I've forgotten."

Han Solo let loose a chuckle at Obi-Wan's comment. "I somewhat know the feeling." He looked at a screen to his left before letting out another laugh. "Looks like they're a little late," he said, pointing to several more of Jabba's men as they entered the docking bay.

"It appears that you're right," Obi-Wan replied. "At least there'll be no more lives lost today, not by our hands."

"That's always a good thing," Han Solo echoed the Jedi Master's statement. "Always a good thing."


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

The sleek, X-wing-like Z-95 Headhunter soared over the sands of Tatooine, speedily headed towards it's destination. It had been three days since the debacle that had let the three students of Obi-Wan Kenobi as well as the Jedi Master himself escape the planet, as well as left a number of the planet's meager garrison dead. In the distance, Mos Eisley quickly loomed over the horizon, and the small starfighter's pilot could see the faint outlines of the military base jutting out of the desert sand.

"Unidentified Headhunter," the fighter's integrated comlink said, "you are close to entering restricted airspace. Please identify yourself and divert course."

"Negative Tatooine Base," Mara Jade replied. "I come on direct order from the Emperor, himself. I'm transmitting my clearance code now."

A minute passed as the Imperial in charge checked the code; a minute that Mara passed by flying in circles over the base. She impatiently waited as the bases lone anti-spacecraft gun no doubt traced her every move throughout the sky.

"Tatooine Base to Headhunter; you are cleared to land on Pad Three," the base's commander commed in.

Mara swung the small fighter towards her designated landing spot and quickly began the landing cycle. Through the side view of her canopy, she could see several of the surviving members of the base already rushing out to greet her as a representative of Emperor Palpatine. A gray-haired man was leaving the main building, his dark gray uniform identified him as someone in charge.

Even after a few seconds in the hot suns that the planet orbited, Lt. Hujnis Gierl was already sweating. He quickly checked the bacta lined bandage on his arm as the Imperial representative opened the canopy of her Z-95. The figure that stepped out of the ship and walked down the steps that the base's ground crew had frantically placed next to the starfighter was not the injured officer's view of what a typical Imperial officer looked like. She was dressed in what appeared to be a heavily modified version of a TIE pilots flight suit; the life support mechanisms that anyone piloting a TIE fighter would have to wear had been completely removed from the suit, and the thick layers of padding designed to keep the pilot's own body heat trapped within were gone as well. She wore her red hair long, as opposed to the short crewcut that almost all Imperial pilots were required to wear, and what appeared to be unusually long glow torch hung from her belt. What struck Lt. Gierl the most about this new face was her age. She was young, only appearing to be in early twenties or her late teens.

"Greetings, Ms.?" He asked Mara when she stepped up to him. It was then that he noticed a peculiar thing about the young woman in front of him: despite the midday desert suns beating down upon her, she hadn't broken a sweat.

"Jade," Mara offered, noticing the affect that her use of the to slightly alter her body had on the officer. It was subtle uses of the Force, like stopping your body from producing sweat for a few minutes that could deeply intimidate people. "Are these all of the soldiers in this garrison?"

"Most of them," Lt. Gierl reported. "We still have about ten more in the medical bay."

"I'm going to cut to the chase," Mara said as the two of them entered the base. "What exactly happened to cause an Imperial garrison stocked with two platoons to fail to kill, or even wound a single member of a small band of half-trained Jedi?"

"You certainly have cut to the chase," Lt. Gierl mused, wondering how one so young became so business-like. "The fact of the matter is this, and you can respectfully tell Emperor Palpatine this personally. Even after the escape of the _Millenium Falcon_ several months ago, we were denied the extra men and extra supplies that I attempted to requisition."

"Additional men or supplies can't make up for incompetence, Lieutenant," Mara retorted. "The Emperor is most displeased about what happened here, and it's he who will make the ultimate decision whether or not there is to be a 'change in command.' Get it?"

"I do, Ms. Jade," Lt. Gierl replied. "And I assure you that there was absolutely no incompetence on our part during the battle. We did our best against them, but we didn't count on the smuggler population to rebel against our rule."

"What about the local Hutt in charge, Jabba?" Mara asked. "Could he have been behind this smuggler's uprising?"

"No. He depends on the Empire keeping our noses out of certain practices of his, for a small price of course. Not to mention that he had some of his thugs cut up by the Jedi while they were trying to escape. I've seen the cauterized limb stumps of those that survived myself, there's no doubt in my mind that Jabba was on the up-and-up for once."

"I heavily doubt that Jabba was going to turn in those detained Jedi out of the goodness of his heart," Mara replied. "I suspect he would have tried to sell you them. I'm pretty sure that he would have offered them to the Rebels if they would have fronted up enough money."

"I don't doubt that," Lt. Gierl answered.

"I'll continue with my investigation," Mara Jade concluded as she reached her quarters.

The _Imperial­_-class Star Destroyer _Banesclaw_ blinked into existence near the shipyards of Fondor. The thirteen-year-old ship had been recently the subject of a major upgrade, making it on par with even some of the _Imperial II_ refits that were being introduced. Yet even ten of the ships couldn't compare to the ship that was behind the red shield that protected the shipyards. Darth Vader stared out of the main viewports of the vessel as the shipyards grew ever larger in his view.

"Lord Vader," a middle-aged officer stated, breaking Vader's concentration on what would become his new flagship, "your shuttle is ready."

"Transmit my clearance to Control and tell them I will arrive shortly," Darth Vader ordered the _Banesclaw's _senior officer as he turned to walk out of the bridge of the vessel.

"Yes, Lord Vader," the officer said before nodding to the communications officer inside of the crew pit.

Darth Vader's sabbatical to one of his private residences on Vjun had done wonders for Vader's mind. Constant meditations had finally allowed him to accept that fact that he had a son, but the other answers to the then lingering questions had been harder to accept. In his meditations he had seen the conspiracy between Obi-Wan, the still in hiding Yoda, and the late Bail Organa; the conspiracy that led them to hiding his only child from him.

Obi-Wan. The man that he had once trusted with his life, and the man who he had considered to be both a father-figure when he was young and a brother as he grew into a man, was now one of the men that Vader hated the most. In Vader's thoughts, there was only one person that he hated more than he hated Kenobi. It was himself…

It was that hatred that fueled him, kept him in the firm grasps of the Dark Side. He was lost in these thoughts for the entire two minutes that it took him to reach the main hangar.

Vader's shuttle quietly launched from the hangar bay, it's two side wings unfolding from the top of the vessel almost immediately after it had cleared the bluish shield. Through the main viewport, Vader could see the red shield that separated him from what could be the doom of the Rebellion. "This is Shuttle AR105," the shuttle's pilot informed the controllers in charge of the shield, "prepare to deactivate the shield. Lord Vader is anxious to see his new Star Destroyer."

"AR105, this is Control. We're deactivating the shield now."

It was then that Darth Vader was granted his first real view of the colossal version of a Star Destroyer that awaited him beyond the security shield. The ship was a bluish-gray and bristling with weapons. A small command bridge near the aft of the vessel seemed dwarfed and out of proportion due to the rest of the ship, and a massive superstructure that rested in front of the command bridge. The ships 19 kilometer long hull reflected the light of Fondor's sun, making the deadly Super Star Destroyer appear even more intimidating. Its name was _Executor_.

"Impressive," Vader admitted to the pilot. "Most impressive." Even though he had seen schematics of the ship before, and had even taken a virtual "trench run" through the superstructure of the vessel back in Bast Castle, seeing the Super Star Destroyer with his own eyes was an awe-inspiring sight. The vessel, the first of what could become several, was one of the ultimate symbols of the power of the Empire, and thus it was a symbol of Palpatine's power as well. "Is the 501st already aboard?" Vader asked, referring to the Imperial Stormtrooper legion that he had personally commanded when he went to the Jedi Temple to personally put down their rebellion. _No,_ he thought. _I murdered them…_ All part of the internal battle between Darth Vader and Anakin Skywalker.

"Yes Lord Vader," the shuttle's pilot informed him. "They were shipped here shortly after you left your private residence."

"Excellent," Vader responded.

As the shuttle neared the newest Imperial ship, the wings of the craft again folded up, the two wingtips coming within two or three meters of touching the central wing of the craft. The shuttle's landing gear descended a few seconds before coming to rest on the polished floor of the hangar bay. With a hiss of pressurizing air, the ramp of the shuttle descended. With a few steps, Darth Vader had officially stepped aboard the _Executor_. The sound of Vader's mechanical breathing was soon drowned out by the sounds of the welcoming platoon of the 501st Legion bringing their E-11's to their chests in a type of salute to their commanding officer.

"Commander CS-1138, is this ship fully ready to leave the shipyards?" Vader asked.

"Yessir," the commander reported, his voice carrying the unmistakable accent of Jango Fett. Of all of the soldiers in the 501st, he was the only remaining clone of the original source material. The rest of the unit was a mixture of top graduates from Carida and other Imperial academies as well as clones of some of the best soldiers that the Empire had to offer. "The command crew from the Imperial Navy arrived here when we did. They're just as anxious to see what this thing can do as we are, sir."

"It appears that you will soon get your wish," Darth Vader stated as he began to walk out of the hangar. "Have they installed my meditation chamber yet?"

"I honestly wouldn't know anything about that, sir," CS-1138 replied. "You'll have to ask some of the Navy personnel."

"It had better be," Darth Vader icily spoke. "We have a very important mission to attend to in the next few days. It would be a pity if I had to postpone them." The implied action that Vader's voice carried drifted to the ears of a nearby naval officer, and the thought of being on the wrong end of one of Vader's deadly demonstrations quickly drove him to action.

"Your meditation chamber was installed last week Lord Vader," the nervous officer replied. "Built exactly to your specifications, I might add."

"Good," Vader simply replied.

Lieutenant Hujnis Gierl stared at the holographic screen before him, pleading for his life. "Your Excellency, it wasn't entirely my fault! If I had more men--"

"You had two platoons stationed at your garrison, yet you only saw the need to send one of them to attack the Jedi. With your foolish incompetence you let our single greatest opportunity to destroy this new band of Jedi slip through the Empire's fingers."

Gierl felt a horrible tickling in his throat, a tickling that soon turned into a sharp pain. His breathing became irregular as what felt like an invisible hand clutched at his trachea. Breathing became extremely difficult as the "hand" slowly cut more and more of his airway off. His own two hands clawed at his throat, trying in vain to free his airway. Within a few more seconds, Lt. Gierl was dead; a victim of the Emperor's wrath.

"Mara Jade, who is the base's second in command?" Emperor Palpatine asked, watching as two aides at the Tatooine base dragged the body of their former commanding officer towards the base's morgue.

"A Sergeant Leeta, your Excellency. He's currently in a bacta tank, recovering from severe injuries suffered during the battle," Mara replied.

"Tell someone at the base to inform him of his promotion once he recovers," Palpatine replied. "And have him notified that two extra platoons are being shipped in from Carida."

"It is already being done," Mara said as she saw another senior officer walk towards the medical bay.

"I must say; an excellent investigation, my Hand," Palpatine praised one of his pupils. "Report back to your previous assignment. There has been an _update_ to his situation."

"Yes," Mara Jade replied. "I will need the coordinates."

"They have been sent to your space ship, my apprentice."

"I will not fail you, master," Mara said while bowing before the holographic image. _And if Vader does, it shall be me taking his place,_ Mara thought as the nearly transparent image of the Emperor disappeared from the room. _Either way, the Rebels won't know what hit them until it's far too late…_


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

"I would suggest stepping a good distance away from them," Obi-Wan said to two of his students, referring to the lightsabers that now sat on two separate plasteel pedestals. "I once remember hearing of a Neti Jedi Knight who made a defective lightsaber. It took him years to regenerate that lost limb. I don't think humans have that ability; although I may be mistaken," Obi-Wan said, attempting to get his serious message into the minds of his students with a joke.

"I don't think so either, Master Kenobi," Keyan Farlander replied. "The closest thing is cybernetic prosthetics. If we can't turn on our lightsabers without the possibility of it taking our arms off, how are we going to test the lightsabers to make sure they work?"

"Droids possibly?" Kyle Katarn wondered aloud.

"With the Force," Obi-Wan stated. "It's not that hard, just a simple step forward from moving rocks. Luke, even though you opted not to build your own lightsaber, you should go ahead and attempt this as well."

Obi-Wan watched Luke pull up another pedestal next to the others and then place his father's lightsaber on top of it. He had wondered why Luke had decided not to create his own lightsaber after retrieving the creation supplies from Tatooine one week previously. Perhaps it was out of respect of who his father was before the Jedi Purge had "ended his life." Luke had no idea of the evil acts that the wielder of that lightsaber had committed. Yet the lightsaber was a tool, it only did what the owner told it to do. A single artifact couldn't be blamed.

The sight of three lightsabers hovering above the pillars that they had previously rested upon snapped Obi-Wan out of his thinking. "Good, now use the Force to attempt to ignite the weapon," he instructed. The Jedi Master watched as two of the blades faltered as their creators couldn't handle the stress of attempting to finely manipulate the Force. Only one lightsaber ignited, and with its blue blade shining into the room, Luke's lightsaber remained the last weapon floating.

"Remain in control of the lightsaber," Obi-Wan said as the blade began to slightly falter, "one day this could save your life."

"I'm trying," Luke said as he exerted his will upon the weapon. It was not to last.

"Blue and Rogue Squadrons," a female voice sounded over the ship's intercom, causing Luke to "drop" the lightsaber, "please report to Simulator Room Alpha."

"Well," Keyan said as he went to retrieve his lightsaber, "looks like it's from one training room to another."

"Antilles, hold still so I can shoot you. That's an order!" Keyan joked as he attempted to draw Wedge Antilles into his line of fire. What was supposed to be a simple training exercise to keep the pilots sharp had quickly deteriorated into what could only be considered clowning around. The mission: keeping a Rebel transport safe from an attacking TIE squadron, had now turned into every pilot gunning for a member of the opposing squadron. Keyan, Wes and a Bith pilot from Blue Squadron had even bribed the sim operators to let the pilots under Keyan's command to switch from TIE fighters to X-Wings.

"Can't do that Commander Farlander," Wedge replied as he took a shot at the Blue Seven. "I don't think I have to obey _your _orders."

"Let him shoot you Wedge," Wes Janson joked. "Death's not that bad."

"Considering that you've been the only casualty so far, I think you should know," Blue Three reported, trying to keep from laughing. A blinking red light filling the canopy soon stopped the laughter.

"Looks like Wes isn't going to be alone anymore," Hobbie laughed after scoring the "kill."

"Not a Blue guy!" Wes exclaimed. "They're no fun… Hey, Rogues: a case of Tanaab whiskey for who ever shoots down Farlander," Wes offered. "Not you Luke, you're too young," he added with a laugh.

"Two can play at that game," Blue Three said. "A bottle of Selvernan wine for whoever shoots _Skywalker_ down!"

"You know this isn't really fair," Keyan said as he dodged the lasers fired at him by half of Rogue Squadron. "Half of Rogue Squadron is chasing me while the rest is attempting to guard Skywalker. And it looks like my squadron is doing the same…" Keyan quickly rolled his starfighter and outflew another round of laser fire.

Wedge focused on his new target, one of the few humans in the now mostly alien Blue Squadron. "Give me a missile lock," he ordered his astromech droid, who frantically attempted to perform the task. "Hurry it up, he might be attempting to do the same on Commander Skywalker," Wedge hastily said as he activated his targeting computer. The X-wing showed up in yellow as it attempted to juke out of the way of the gun sights of one of the Alliance's best pilots.

Following a confident whistle from his astromech droid, Wedge Antilles pressed the trigger on his flight stick, sending two guided proton torpedoes towards Blue Ten. The tenacious pilot did his best to shoot down Luke in his last few moments, his laser cannons spewing red blasts towards the Jedi pilot.

Luke Skywalker felt the simulated ship shake as two or three of the random laser blasts impacted upon his shields, bringing them to about 60 of their original strength. The five remaining fighters from Blue Squadron that were doing their best to vape him had now fallen into a complicated dogfight with his four defenders. Luke turned his starfighter around and went towards the mess, attempting to thin out the herd.

"And Skywalker narrowly avoids a mid-space collision with Blue Two," Wes Janson narrated as he watched the simulated action.

"Can someone shut him up? He's ruining my concentration," Blue Two asked as she attempted to right herself.

"I'd shoot him, but he's already dead," Blue Seven quipped as he took a shot at Hobbie, one of Luke Skywalker's two wingmen.

"Can any of you in the control room shut him up?" Blue Two asked.

"C'mon, you're ruining all the fu…" Wes began to say before his audio feed was cut off. "Sithspit," he said to himself in the silence of his own cockpit.

Darth Vader looked at the newest model of battle droid that stood before him. At first glance, the grayish-black armored droid appeared to be just another member of Prophet Cronal's elite Stormtrooper guard, yet the high-tech assault cannon that the droid held would be difficult for a Stormtrooper to wield properly, and the jetpack on every unit of the droids could quickly distinguish between the two.

"So, general," Darth Vader said as he inspected the droids, "the units are prepared for the demonstration?"

"Yes Lord Vader," General Mohc replied. "I do believe that the Rebels on the planet have had enough time to sufficiently prepare for a ground-based attack, for Rebels that is."

"Excellent, general," Vader commented. "How many units will you be sending down onto the planet?"

"I presume that the entire base can be 'pacified' with at most fifteen units, Lord Vader."

_Fifteen units!_ Mara Jade thought as she listened in on the conversation through a set of listening devices. _Those droids are _that _powerful?_

"Very well, General Mohc," Vader replied. "You may begin the demonstration…"

"Lieutenant," General Mohc commanded a battle officer on the bridge of the _Arc Hammer_. "Release the Dark Troopers."


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

Mon Mothma finished her fourth private viewing of the most recent acquisition that Alliance Intelligence had only placed on her desk three hours previously. The disturbing distress call from a now derelict ship, coupled with some top secret information from a soon-to-defect Crix Madine had led Mon Mothma believe that if something drastic couldn't be done soon, the Alliance would soon fall to the wrath of the Empire. She pressed a button on her desk, and turned to the only people in the Alliance that could more than likely take care of this threat in a timely manner.

An hour later, all four members of the new Jedi Order stood in the office of Mon Mothma. A scant few months ago, Obi-Wan Kenobi had sat in this very room to discuss the possible future of his students, now the once slightly skeptical Rebel leader was depending on them.

"This distress call came in from one of our ships stationed at Tak Base, the single rebel cell located on the planet of Talay," Mon Mothma began, readying to show the Jedi the recording. With a press of a button, a large holographic representation of a planetary office came into view with an obviously distressed Mon Calamari standing in the middle of the "screen."

"This is Commander Toka of Tak Base," the Mon Calamari quickly said. The image began fuzzing up, and the sound frequently began cutting in and out, the result of both the jamming that the _Arc Hammer_ and the _Executor _were applying as well as the damage to the base that the unknown Imperial weapons were causing. "Under attack!—some kind…new weapon…droids—heavily armed!"

The recording contained sporadically for the next three minutes, and with every single minute that elapsed the Jedi began to feel a sense of dread wash over them. Then came the final few seconds of the recording. Commander Toka's voice became even more frantic as the recorder picked up a barely audible sound in the background. "They're coming through!" he screamed as a slightly louder "bang" was picked up. Toka's body soon disappeared out of the image, yet his shadow remained in the image. A few high-powered blaster shots quickly zoomed across the holographic projection, and Toka's shadow quickly fell to the ground. It wasn't long until a quick blaster shot terminated the feed.

"Other than what we just saw, what do we know about what attacked that base?" Obi-Wan asked, finally breaking the silence.

"One of our sources inside of the Empire has stated that these new machines are just being manufactured, and that this was just the test run of them," Mon Mothma replied. "At the moment, that's the summit of our knowledge."

"I suppose that you are assigning us to investigate what's probably left of the base," Obi-Wan said.

"Yes," Mon Mothma simply replied. "Your mission is to investigate the base and look for any clues that may point us to these new weapons and where they're manufactured."

"It's obvious that there's still an Imperial presence here," Kyle Katarn whispered to the other Jedi as he peered at the base through a pair of electrobinoculars. "Seems to be just troops at the moment; can't really give an estimate into how many, however."

"There's something else there," Obi-Wan replied. "Something dark."

"I don't sense it, Ben," Luke replied. "But there is this feeling that there's something here that's more than Stormtroopers."

"That would be the dark presence, I presume," Obi-Wan added. "Since it would be better to conduct our investigation in teams, we should split up now." Obi-Wan paused for a second to consider all of the possible teams that could be created out of the four of them. "Keyan, since lightsaber combat isn't your specialty, it would be best if you and I teamed together. Luke, you and Kyle take the east end of the base. Be on the lookout," Obi-Wan warned. "I can't exactly pinpoint where this dark figure is. We need to keep in contact."

"What about the Stormtroopers?" Luke asked.

"I have a feeling that they'll be the least of our problems," Obi-Wan replied.

Mara Jade could sense the four Jedi as they prepared to climb down from their spying place to begin their investigation of this facility. This, coupled with reports of a woman asking a lot of questions in the nearby city in the past few hours, gave credence to her Master's vision of the entirety of this new Jedi Order would come to investigate the havoc that the Dark Troopers had caused.

About a minute previously, she had made sure that her presence in the base would be noticed. It was just enough to put the Jedi even more on edge than they more than likely already were. When they split up, which would be a necessity to fully explore the ruined base before the chance of more Imperial troops arriving would become a reality, she would exploit this weakness and begin picking them off…

"Commander Jade," an Imperial officer reported in from his posting in the nearby city, "we've lost track of the Rebel woman we've been chasing. She killed about three of us before disappearing. Shall we continue our search for her?"

"You incompetent fool!" Mara exclaimed, slamming her gloved fist on the table. "You were supposed to only follow her, not try to apprehend her! Thanks to you and your men, our cover is effectively blown! Return to base to step up security, otherwise they'll get suspicious."

"What about the rebel?"

"She's a secondary target for all I care," Mara retorted. "I'm here for the Jedi…"

"I just got a message from Jan," Obi-Wan heard Kyle report in. "It appears that the Empire knows of our operation here. She was scouting the nearby city when she ran into a bunch of Stormtroopers."

"What about us?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I don't know if the Empire knows about _us_, but they're probably going to be increasing security around here very quickly."

"We had best finish this investigation as fast as we can, then, yet at the same time make sure not to miss anything," Obi-Wan ordered. "Keep in constant communication with us. May the Force be with the both of you."

"May the Force be with you," Kyle ended the communication.

"We're not even in this place for thirty minutes and the Empire already knows we're here," Keyan complained. "And we've been stealthy and everything."

"The Empire has the ability to ruin even the best made plans," Obi-Wan replied. "And whatever that dark presence was that I felt earlier is still here. I have a feeling that we're walking into a trap."

"And yet we're still investigating?"

"I've created one of my own," Obi-Wan explained. "The investigating groups I've created are more than capable of handling an Imperial threat until the other group gets to them. That, and traps only work if we don't know about them…"

Stalking her prey like an alien carnivore, Mara Jade slowly walked along some durasteel support beams, doing her best to remain silent as she waited for the opportunity to strike to present itself. She had picked the students as her first target, primarily out of fear of having to face Kenobi. She had heard tales of his precision in lightsaber combat from other members of Palpatine's cadre of dark-siders, and she was unwilling to cross blades with him—yet.

She carefully reached for her belt and reached for her lightsaber. With a slightly Force-assisted leap, Mara leaped down towards the two Jedi-in-training, igniting the blade at the same time. To her surprise, Mara could see both of the Jedi quickly turn towards her. The one wearing a brown jacket steadied a blaster pistol towards her face while the other, more younger, Jedi student ignited a blue lightsaber.

"So nice of you to finally join us," the one holding the gun said, his other hand reaching for his own lightsaber. "Thanks for the heads-up, Luke."

"Just put the lightsaber down," the one identified as Luke said, readying his lightsaber.

"You think I'm going to give up that easily?" Mara asked as she felt the Force flow through her, enhancing her own natural quickness and dexterity. With a quick turn, her right leg reached out towards her target, her foot solidly connecting with the blaster pistol. She quickly regained her footing before the now dislodged pistol hit the floor. She quickly brought her purple-bladed lightsaber up to block the blue blade that had been headed towards her.

A solid palm to the chin of the former holder of the blaster pistol stunned him for a moment, giving Mara a few precious seconds to spare to attempt to prevent her from having to duel both of them. It wasn't that she was frightened of the prospect of having to fight both of them, it was just the simple fact of having a better chance of surviving in one-on-one combat. She sent a quick slash his way, only to have her blade blocked just as quickly.

_So,_ she thought as a second lightsaber soon came into play, _they've been better trained than I thought._

The flickering lights of the remains of one of Tak Base's barracks, coupled with the glowing lightsaber, bathed the room in an eerie light. Luke struck at his opponent, only to have his strike blocked. Kyle, seeing the brief saber-lock, attempted to take advantage of the situation. He sent his green blade towards the dark Jedi, only to have her dodge out of the way.

A quick kick to the face sent Luke staggering into some rubble, leaving Kyle alone to face the Emperor's Hand. He attempted to fake a low swing, but was forced to block an overhead attack from the red-haired assassin as she sensed his attack.

"You're going to have to do better against me," Mara taunted. "I can sense the anger in you. All you need to do is let it out!"

Luke quickly kicked up off of the floor and used the Force to call his lightsaber into his hands. Seeing a golden opportunity, Luke sent a piece of debris hurtling towards the dark Jedi attacking him. The Force propelled missile caught Mara in the shoulder, sending her off balance. This small amount of time was enough for Luke to get back into the battle.

Mara backed away as both of her opponents pressed the attack, the attacker with the green lightsaber clearly using his anger in an attempt to get the upper hand. The other, one the other hand, seemed to radiate power in the Force. While his lightsaber strikes were less refined than the other combatant, this blond Jedi seemed to have more potential than _any_ of the other Force-users she had ever encountered—save Vader. Thankfully, he wasn't fully trained.

She swept the brown-haired Jedi off of his feet and at the same moment attempted to drive her lightsaber into the gut of the other Jedi.

Luke swung his lightsaber, quickly shifting the purple blade away from his midsection, causing it to drive into the durasteel wall. Red globs of molten slag dripped down from the wall and gathered on the floor, already beginning to cool. Luke closed in as she rose and drove his knee into Mara's gut, causing the Hand to fall back slightly.

A green lightsaber nearly decapitated her as she quickly recovered her breath, it was followed by a punch. Mara masterfully blocked the punch with her free hand and then closed her fingers over the wrist. Feeling the Force enhance her strength in an instant, she violently twisted. The satisfying snap could barely be heard as Mara twisted to block another incoming lightsaber slash from Luke. She quickly let go of the now broken wrist and sliced towards the only uninjured Jedi left in the room.

"What is it Master Kenobi?" Keyan asked as his teacher paused for a second. Over his shoulder, Keyan half-carried, half-dragged a large assault cannon, one of the few clues that the Jedi had been able to find in their investigation.

"It's Luke and Kyle," Obi-Wan replied. "They're in trouble. Stay hidden near here, guard the evidence, and call for our extraction. Even if the worst happens, we still need to get that evidence into the hands of Alliance Intelligence."

Keyan nodded and dragged the weapon into a small storage closet and followed it into the hiding place. Removing the blaster pistol and his lightsaber from his belt, the pilot-turned-Jedi readied himself to stop anyone who attempted to prevent him from leaving the planet with the weapon. "I'll guard it with my life, Master Kenobi," he replied.

"I hope it doesn't come to that," Kenobi said. "Then I'm out a student and the Alliance is without the gun." Obi-Wan peeked through the transparisteel window, looking outside for any signs of Stormtrooper activity and thankfully found none. The Jedi Master removed the lightsaber on his belt and slowly walked outside. Upon being assured of a minimal Imperial presence, Obi-Wan rushed towards the place where the other group's last transmission had come from.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

The clumps of plasteel boots hitting the floor of the supposedly abandoned base echoed throughout the hallway, the sound steadily increasing in volume as the Stormtroopers patrolled the hallway. Keyan Farlander clutched his blaster pistol next to his chest as the boot steps slowly came closer to his hiding place, hoping that the Stormtroopers that were patrolling the hallway wouldn't think to look into his hiding place.

"What's in there?" Keyan could barely hear the Stormtrooper's report to a comrade, obviously pointing out the storage closet in which he was hiding. Keyan's knuckles turned white as the death grip on the blaster's grip continued, his left hand moving towards his lightsaber.

"A storage closet," the other Stormtrooper reported. "Do you think something's in there?"

Keyan reached out with the Force—sensing the locations and the intent of the Imperial soldiers that had him cornered. One was nearing the door, and both of them weren't in the mood for taking prisoners. Keyan positioned the hilt of his lightsaber towards the door, the blade emitter in the approximate location of where the enemy Stormtrooper's chest would be when he would begin to open the door.

Five…four…three… He began his silent countdown, patiently waiting for the opportunity to present itself. A slight regret at having to set up this ambush to get out of this situation flashed through his mind, but he remembered the words of Master Kenobi. "Sometimes the best defense is an offense." It was an older saying than that, but hearing it applied to using the Force comforted him in this moment.

One… He thumbed his lightsaber on, feeling a slight kickback as the emerging energy blade cut through the metal door within a second. A cry of pain could be heard as the first Stormtrooper was stabbed through the chest by the energy blade. The door continued to open, taking the lightsaber blade with it. The other Stormtrooper was too busy reacting to his compatriot's death to notice Keyan at first—it was a mistake that cost him his life. The red energy bolt fired from Keyan's BlasTech DL-18 blaster pistol hit the Stormtrooper's chest, ending his life.

Keyan retrieved his lightsaber from the door and placed it back on his belt before scouting the area, looking for any other hostile troops. The halls were empty, but if there were any other Stormtroopers in the vicinity they would quickly race to the location and find the two dead bodies. His hiding place was now compromised. "So," he whispered to the weapon he had found, "looks like I've got to carry you again…"

Luke blocked the quick flurry of strikes that the Dark Jedi he and Kyle Katarn were fighting, only to fall victim to a well-placed kick to a well placed kick to the chest. He stumbled backwards for a second before being able to regain his balance. Mara, however, was still on the offensive. Her lightsaber sent purple streaks of light through the air as she continued her attack.

Holding his lightsaber in one hand, Kyle Katarn did his best to block the few strikes that were headed his way. His left wrist throbbed in pain, the result of the Dark Jedi intercepting a punch a few minutes previously and expertly breaking it, leaving him only with his lightsaber skills. There had been a chance to easily end the fight a minute ago—an easy opportunity to send a 30kg metal slab hurling towards her head—yet the pain had interfered with his concentration, and the slab was only able to lift half a meter off of the ground before falling.

Mara advanced on Luke, fully intent to take out the unwounded combatant before finally finishing off the one she had wounded. Unfortunately, it seemed as if both of Kenobi's students weren't planning on just laying down to die. It appeared as if she had greatly underestimated her two opponents—at least for the moment. She easily parried an attack by the injured student and sent a powerful attack towards the blond trainee, hoping to regain the upper hand.

Luke withstood the powerful attack, bracing his feet on the floor. The 'sabers locked together with a flash of yellow light, briefly illuminating the room further. Through the clashing blue and purple blades, Luke looked into the eyes of his opponent. Her eyes were green—a piercing green that was filled with determination and anger. He pushed against the lightsaber, doing his best to drive both blades down into the Dark Jedi's shoulder. Both of the blades slowly centimeter-by-centimeter towards Mara, who calmly struggled against him.

"You're good," Mara admitted. Luke began to feel his control over the struggle weaken as the Emperor's Hand revealed her true power. She was doing something that she had rarely done—eagerly and readily tapping into the Dark Side, feeling the "twisted" power run through her body. "But not good enough," she added as the physical test turned to her favor. She pushed forward, sending Luke backwards for a few feet. A second later she twisted, bringing her blade up to deflect a jumping slash from the other student.

Now it was her turn to backpedal as both of the Jedi students went on the offensive. She expertly blocked the lightsaber blades as she slowly began to lead them to exactly where she wanted them to be. She was meters away from her trap when she felt something. Kenobi was near.

She had failed.

She cursed as she turned away from the two Jedi trainees, using the Force to leap onto the support beams that she had initially used to get the drop on the two. Landing easily on the beam, she raced towards the hole in the ceiling that she had used to enter the building to begin with. Behind her she could hear two more thumps as the two students gave chase. A quick glance behind her before she leapt through the hole revealed the uninjured Jedi to be the first in line, followed closely by the other student. Too close. She raised her left hand toward them and sent a powerful Push in their direction. Her plan was to use the Force to push both of the students off of the support beam and to the floor below, a move that would have given her several precious seconds to get away. With what must have been an instinctual movement, the young Jedi raised his free hand and negated the effects of her Force attack. She cursed once more before jumping onto the roof.

Luke easily made the leap and continued his chase, running along the rooftop less than eight meters behind the female Dark Jedi. He made a quick jump over a gap between two buildings, slightly closing the gap between them. She foolishly turned for a second, causing Luke to gain another few precious seconds on her. She took a few quick swings at him that were easily parried before jumping to the ground below. She had to reach the safety of the hangar before Kenobi reached her, and every second that she spent fighting off these students could mean the difference between escaping or ending up on the wrong end of a lightsaber blade. A piece of free piping she threw towards her pursuer failed to connect—an unfortunate product of her hastiness. In the distance, she could already see the faint blue illumination of what could only be Obi-Wan's lightsaber. It was still several meters away, but it added an additional urgency to her flight.

Through the Force, Obi-Wan could feel the fleeing Mara Jade as she raced away from him. There was fear, and there was the feeling that this young woman was swearing revenge on the Jedi. His highly attuned danger sense flared, alerting him to the fact that something was soon to happen. He quickly moved his lightsaber to the right, intercepting the freshly fired blaster shot that was aimed at him. Other shots soon followed, forcing Obi-Wan to kill his lightsaber. "Luke! Ignore her," he shouted to his pursuing student as the Stormtroopers continued to fire upon him. Their concentration on one target was soon broken as they discovered another target: the fleeing figure of Luke Skywalker. "We need to leave this base now!"

Almost on cue, the sound of the _Moldy Crow_'s engines filled the air as it flew over the base, looking for the optimal place to land.

"There's our ride," Obi-Wan said as Luke finally managed to close the distance between the two, the young Jedi trainee tiredly deflecting the incoming blaster shots. "Keyan, did you hear that?" Obi-Wan said after pulling his comlink off of his belt.

"Loud and clear," the Jedi pilot replied. "I'm on my way there now."

"And there's Kyle," Obi-Wan reported as the other student raced through the open field, doing his best to stay out of the gunsights of the Imperial Stormtroopers. "We best get to the ship now. We can talk about this dark presence later."

Luke nodded as he sidestepped towards the general direction of the ship, deflecting the blaster fire as it streamed towards him.

Mara seethed as she watched the Obi-Wan Kenobi and his Jedi students neared the ship that would soon take them off of the planet; green eyes studying the movements of them, hoping that one day it would pay off. In her gut—more than likely something Force-inspired—she knew that she would one face this new Jedi Order again, and she knew that the battle wouldn't be so "neat." The Jedi would be stronger, especially the younger one, and they would prove more than a challenge than they already were. She would be stronger as well. Yet there was one silver lining in this meeting today. She had failed to kill any of the students, but she had learned a great deal of information that could prove quite useful in the future. The former Stormtrooper had been easily goaded into unleashing his anger—a feat that she hoped wouldn't be an isolated incident. This new Order that Kenobi had created was just under a year old and there was already the threat of the Dark Side destroying it from within—another fine example of Palpatine's rhetoric about the uselessness of the teachings of the Jedi.

The Corellian-made transport lifted off with the Jedi trainees in it, making Mara partially wish that she had followed the suggestion of an Imperial officer when he mentioned continuing the chase of the rebel in the town. There was no doubt in her mind that that rebel and pilot of this ship was one and the same. As the thrusters of the craft burned in the night sky, Mara Jade swore revenge…

"What happened down there?" Jan Ors asked as the four Jedi stumbled into the ship. Kyle and Luke were covered in a few small burn marks, dirt, and obvious signs of being punched and/or kicked in the face.

"Met a girl," Kyle said as he held his broken left wrist close to his body, "couldn't keep her hands off me—or her feet. The lightsaber wasn't that fun, either."

"There was another Jedi down there?" she asked, trying to remember if any of her former Imperial experience could shed any light on this recent turn of events.

"A Dark Jedi," Luke corrected. "A particularly powerful one, too."

Obi-Wan Kenobi stirred in his seat as Kyle exited the cockpit of the vessel to visit the first aid center. "At least our mission here wasn't a failure—despite the injuries sustained by half of our official roster."

"_Official _roster?" Jan asked, the intelligence agent in her flaring up.

"Leia Organa has sat in on a few training sessions," Obi-Wan replied. "The most she's done is lift a few pebbles with the Force at the moment. Don't worry—we're not training an entire hidden army away from Mon Mothma's eyes."

"How many of these Dark Jedi do you think there are?" Luke asked, remembering being told of the other Dark Jedi that had set up the Imperial ambush on Tatooine.

"I don't know their exact numbers," Obi-Wan replied. "I do know, however, that they are many and we are few—for the moment."

"Something I've mentioned to Mon Mothma in passing a few times," Obi-Wan cryptically said. "An idea that I assume that she's already put into motion…"

"Are you sure you saw him go this way?" Han Solo asked as he walked down a dark alley on some Outer Rim planet. While Kenobi, Luke and the other Jedi went off some routine mission for the Alliance, he was stuck here.

I swear, Chewbacca growled, doing his best to keep his high volume speaking of the Wookiee language down, fearing that the slightest misplaced growl could alert their quarry. If we can trust what our source said.

"That's doubtful," Han pessimistically said.

The alley stank; and various pieces of garbage littered the area. The street light's illumination barely permeated into the alley's darkness, and what light was able to invade the area cast devious looking shadows in which almost anything would be able to hide. Not knowing what kind of terror could be lurking in the darkness, Han Solo drew his blaster, knowing that if who he was looking for had come this way, he would obviously be spooked.

"Chewie, stay back a couple of meters and cover me," Han said as he stepped into the dark alley. The smells got worse as he continued down his way, a particularly foul smell coming from a nearby dumpster made his eyes water. Several meters down the alleyway, he stopped and turned around. "I don't think there's anyone down here. You must have been seeing--"

A bar of green light appeared centimeters from his neck and a strong arm subdued him. "Drop the blaster now," a voice said from the shadows. Knowing what a lightsaber could do to even heavily protected human flesh, Han quickly complied. The DL-44 hit the ground with a thud, a sound that didn't even escape the immediate area. "Tell the Wookiee to stand down," the voice said, seeing the silhouette of Chewbacca assume a fighting stance. "I've seen what members of his species can do, and I don't feel like crossing one today."

Chewie stood near the entrance to the alley, bowcaster aimed at the figure that was holding his honor-brother hostage. He growled out a warning in Shyriiwook, telling the stranger to release Han instantly. Through the green illumination caused by the stranger's lightsaber, he could barely make out the features of the face. A few wrinkles lined the dark skin, and a few gray hairs appeared out of the darkness. It only took a few more seconds for Chewbacca to see the identifying mark and recognize where the Wookiee had seen it before.

"Chewie, what are you doing?" Han exclaimed as his friend put down his bowcaster. "Take the shot!"

General? Chewbacca asked, sending Han's head reeling. He was being held hostage by the man he was supposed to bring back to the Alliance.

"Sithspit…" he whispered as the lightsaber blade continued to hover near his neck.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

"How do you know me, Wookiee?" the Jedi that Chewbacca had only addressed as General said, his lightsaber still held across the neck of Han Solo. He stretched out his mind using the Force, trying to get a reading as to the intentions of the two that had followed him. It wasn't really needed—after all these two were more than likely bounty hunters after him. There was no ill intent towards him in their minds, a fact that didn't comfort him all that much. The Clones that opened fire upon him and then chased him had no ill intent towards him—they were just following orders. Bounty hunters often had the same mindset in the Force—it was just a job they did.

Bounty hunters had always been after him after his near-death. Always after him and his family. Speaking of which, where was that son of his anyways? An additional hand at the moment would do wonders at defusing the explosive situation that was currently going on. Through the Force he could see the many possibilities that could happen: he'd be unable to talk the Wookiee out of firing, and the bowcaster quarrel would hit the other bounty hunter; a peaceful solution to the problem; the Wookiee firing and somehow miraculously hitting him, sometimes saving the human and sometimes not. Either way, only one potential solution made sure that everyone in this alley left alive.

"Tell me how you recognize me Wookiee and I'll —if it's the truth—let your friend go," he said.

I saw you on Kashyyyk, General, the Wookiee growled. Twenty years ago, when the Separatists tried to take the planet over.

"So you recognize me," The General replied, sensing no deliberate attempt to mislead him in the Wookiee's words. "Who are you and what were you doing on Kashyyyk two decades ago?" he asked, knowing that even a bounty hunter could get some quality information from time-to-time.

I am Chewbacca, son of Attichitcuk, the Wookiee began. I fought alongside Masters Unduli, Yoda and yourself on Kashyyyk along with General Tarfful.

_That's a little too much information than your run of the mill bounty hunter would know,_ The General thought as he began to lower his lightsaber. _Not to mention that there _was _a Chewbacca at the battle._ With a movement of a finger, the green lightsaber blade was soon extinguished, freeing Han from the certain death that could have followed. "Why did you two follow me into this alley?" he asked, repeating his question from earlier.

"Well, Master Vos," Han said, finally speaking the name of his former captor, "we're here on behalf of the rejuvenated Jedi Order." The words being written by Obi-Wan Kenobi and handed down to everyone on these "Jedi Hunts" as Han called them. At this very moment, Leia was chasing down some Jedi by the name of Rahn, and then it would be on to look for some Jedi Master named Yoda.

"A rejuvenated Order?" Quinlan Vos skeptically asked. A survivor of Order 66, Quinlan had struggled greatly with the Dark Side during the Clone Wars. His attempt at going undercover as one of Count Dooku's Dark Side Adepts had nearly resulted in his own permanent slide into the Dark. Not to mention a lot of the talk about a new gathering of Force-sensitives had led to a Palpatine-led group of Dark Siders. How was he supposed to know that this wasn't supposed to be a trick? An ambush that would lead himself and Korto straight into the heart of the Empire?

It wasn't long before the Force would provide the answer for him.

"All right, Rogues," Wedge Antilles spoke into his intercom. "I've got TIEs on my sensors. Anyone else picking them up?" In the days that Commander Luke Skywalker had been called away on some highly classified Jedi mission, it had fallen onto Wedge—the Executive Officer of Rogue Squadron—to take over leadership of what was becoming one of the Alliance's premier starfighter squad.

"I confirm, Rogue Tw—I mean Rogue Leader," Rogue Seven replied. The Mon Calamari male had recently joined the squadron, and was still adjusting to life as a member. Wedge didn't even know his full name. "I'm picking up at least fifteen signals—three of them new."

"What's the Empire got up their sleeves now?" Wedge wondered aloud, and allowed the sound of silence answer him. It was a simple raid on a relatively undefended Imperial supply depot on some Mid Rim planet that hardly anyone in his squadron had heard the name of before. Of course, the phrase "relatively undefended" never implied that the job was going to be easy, a fact that the TIE fighters in front of them hammered home. A few kilometers behind them was a troop transport that was heavily converted from the original Gallofree model. All Rogue Squadron had to do was to clear a landing zone for the transport and then protect it while the commandos inside made off with valuable weapons and ammunition that was inside.

The TIEs were closer now, allowing Wedge to see the configuration of the ships. All fifteen of the starfighters were of the standard TIE construction: two ion engines connected to ball cockpit, two panels jutting vertically from the cockpit. Wedge risked a quick glance down to his flight stick and made sure that his laser cannons were properly configured. It was then that he squeezed off a shot towards the closest TIE fighter—sending two shots into the transparisteel that separated the pilot from the world outside. With a greenish-orange explosion what was left of the Imperial starfighter fell to the field below. Around him, Wedge could see the other pilots break off to pursue the enemy starfighters—each one intent in not letting a single TIE get even remotely close to the transport.

Wedge turned his X-wing hard to starboard as he overshot the large dogfight that was beginning to form, taking only a couple of seconds to quickly get back into the action. He chose one of the two unaccounted for TIE pilots and easily adjusted his course to follow, edging the ship's nose slightly upward to match the altitude of his target. He didn't stay above his target for long.

The TIE dived towards the ground, shifting around to make a headway towards the transport. A quick look at his sensor screen confirmed that his target wasn't suicidal—four other TIEs had broken away from the dogfight with two members of Rogue Squadron on their tails. Wedge lined up the TIE fighter into his digitized gun sights and squeezed the trigger; his shot flew low and right from the fighter, messing it by several meters. The TIEs dove and jinked to avoid the lasers of Rogue Squadron, staying one step ahead of the Rebel pilots.

"These guys are good," Wes Janson said, his voice almost sounding eager at the challenge.

"Too good," Hobbie reported in. "They're not behaving like standard TIE pilots. It's almost as if they're used to more complicated machinery."

Rogue Seven looked at his sensor screen, unable to believe the new readings that he was getting. The humid air inside of his canopy hung thick, and the Mon Calamari pilot knew that if he was mammalian he would be sweating at the moment, but not from the conditions inside of his fighter. It was the new TIE signals that had emerged that frightened him. "Lt. Antilles!" he frantically called over his intercom. "I'm picking up five extra signals coming from the north." Four of the new combatants had quickly fallen behind him and were already well on their way to overtaking him. The five new fighters were different from the rest: instead of the typical twin panels on a regular TIE fighter, four vanes jutted out in front of the craft, each one containing a laser cannon. In addition to double the firepower of a standard TIE, these starfighters were slightly faster and much more maneuverable than the norm.

Green laser blasts tore into Rogue Seven's X-wing, quickly shredding the s-foils off of the main body of the rebel starfighter and making numerous holes in several vital places. His droid let loose a final scream of fright and "pain" as one of the green bolts slammed into his dome. Rogue Seven quickly adjusted himself in his seat before triggering the ejection seat. The now unaerodynamic X-wing's canopy exploded outward as the miniscule charges placed in it exploded, and Rogue Seven felt the forces of gravity turn against him as the rockets in his seat fired, sending the pilot towards the ground. His last thoughts before he began his safe descent to the ground was a question of how one of the worst TIE Interceptor squadrons in the Empire had struck so quickly.

"We've got company!" Janson reported as the five Interceptors blew through the dogfight and headed straight towards them—or rather straight towards the transport. Rogue Squadron was just in the way…

"I see them," Wedge confirmed. "Adjust your deflectors to double-back," he ordered, already in the process of angling his shields to provide maximum protection to the rear of the starfighter. It wasn't a moment too soon, as Wedge's X-wing rocked with the impact of two laser blasts hitting the shields. Wedge quickly juked to port, trying to evade the laserfire as it poured out from the Interceptors behind him. Another shot hit his shields, soon to be followed by another.

"Break away," Wedge ordered as his shields reached a dangerous level. "We need to retreat before we're all killed!" In front of him he could see the transport begin to follow his orders, beginning its slow turn and ascent. He risked another glance at his sensor screen. He had lost three pilots already, either by being shot down or desertion prior to the order to retreat.

Derek "Hobbie" Klivian studied the TIE Interceptor in front of him, analyzing every move that the pilot made. Every attempt to get a solid missile lock on fighter resulted in the enemy pilot easily—almost instinctively—evading him. Hobbie had seen maneuvers like this before. He had studied under the man in the other ship, and was quite certain that if the other of Rogue Squadron's recent additions was nearby, he would recognize the TIE pilot as well.

"Fel," he fearfully whispered.

Blaster fire surrounded Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Quinlan Vos as the unlikely team backed their way into the alley. Han and Chewie fired at the bounty hunters from behind Quinlan, who was deflecting the blaster fire away from the group. There were at least five bounty hunters working together to take them down, all of which were greatly covered by various obstacles. An almost lucky blaster shot hit the wall next to Han's head, causing him to flinch slightly before returning fire. Han's shot hit the small metal cart that the bounty hunter was using as cover, only blowing a small hole into the cart.

Another pair of eyes watched the bounty hunters from afar as they continued their attempt to bring Quinlan Vos to "justice." They wouldn't succeed if he had anything to do with it. He studied the area in great detail, using the Force to get a feel when the less than decent artificial illumination wouldn't allow it. There were few opportunities to end the stand-off easily—and none of them were completely promising. He obviously couldn't leap down into the crowd and begin slicing away at them; he wasn't well-trained enough for something like that—yet. Seeing no other option but to choose one of the options that he had been dreading.

He closed his eyes, hoping that his target wasn't too heavy. The dumpster shook slightly on the ground as Korto Vos pushed at it with the Force. The sound of metal scraping against duracrete was surely loud enough to get the attention of his targets, but the blasterfire had to have been drowning out the sounds of inevitable destruction. Concentrating harder, Korto mentally saw the dumpster lift a few centimeters off of the ground and was rewarded with the site of the actual dumpster doing the same. Lifting and holding aloft the several hundred kilogram object was difficult and he knew that hurling it towards the bounty hunters would be even more difficult. A slight mental touch of encouragement from his father gave him the edge that he needed.

The dumpster was sent rocketing towards the bounty hunters, a slight sound emitting from it as the light amount of garbage in it shifted slightly due to the new acceleration. It hit the bounty hunters head on. With little warning, the unfortunate scoundrels were hit by the impromptu missile. After finishing its odd journey, the dumpster slipped out of the control of Korto and rolled throughout the street, causing several loud crashing sounds.

"I do hope that was a friend of yours," Han Solo said after witnessing the disabling of the Jedi hunters that were trying to kill them.

"Someone better," Quinlan replied as he closed down his lightsaber. "Where's this ship of yours?" he asked. "There's someone else that has to come along besides myself and my son."

_Great,_ Han thought as he fell into step behind the Jedi. _I came to find one man and I end up having to transport his entire family. I'm turning into the Jedi Taxi Service…_


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

The underside of Wedge's X-wing faced the sky as the temporary Rogue Leader maneuvered out of the sights of the enemy TIE pilot. Above Wedge's head the ground hung; a patchwork of greens, blues and the occasional browns. Green lances of deadly energy danced around him, each one hoping to be the one to strike the fatal blow.

But Wedge's shields weren't down yet. He also hadn't exhausted all of his tricks yet, either.

He was thrown into his seat as he pulled back on his flight stick. The ground "above" him soon filled his entire view, the patchwork of greens slowly transformed into trees during the few seconds he faced the ground only to disappear completely as Wedge finished his loop. A quick look behind him and another glance directed towards his sensor screen sent a brief sense of relief wash over him as he noticed the absence of the TIE Interceptor on his tail. Free of his pursuer, Wedge evened up his shields and headed back to the besieged transport.

_So, he's as good as they say_, Soontir Fel thought, completely unaware that the pilot he had chased was actually his fiancée's brother. He banked left, putting his laser sights on the transport. With the transport gone, Rogue Squadron would be forced to retreat, sending them into a state of disarray.

The transport loomed in the distance, steadily increasing in size as Fel's Interceptor rapidly approached it. There three more Ints making a similar attack run on the Gallofree, but Fel was the only pilot whose run was unopposed. Two kilometers from their target, the pilots opened fire. Green auras appeared meters away from larger ship as the rapid-fire shots of Fel and other pilots pinged against the quickly weakening shields.

Fel growled as his enhanced sensors began emitting a slight beep, the warning tones of a missile lock. Rogue Leader was back.

"Rogue Squadron, we need more cover fire!" The voice of the Gallofree transports captain rang loudly in Tycho Celchu's – Rogue Twelve – ears as he squeezed off a dual laser shot that clipped off the port solar panel of a TIE, sending the craft spiraling to the ground. Tycho, like "Hobbie" Klivian and the late Biggs Darklighter, was a former member of the Imperial navy. An Alderaanian, he defected not long after the Alliance was forced to evacuate Yavin 4.

He shunted an almost negligible amount of power from his engines and placed it into his shields, a move that could possibly save his life. At the moment, however, the lives of beings aboard the transport were more important. The four Interceptors that had been the first to make a break toward the ovoid transport had been reduced to two by himself and Janson, but these were still plenty of regular TIEs in the air.

"I copy _Remembrance_," Tycho replied as picked on a few stragglers headed toward the large ship.

"He's a slippery one, I'll give him that," Wedge admitted as the leader of the 181st continually evaded a missile lock. It was like trying to get a lock on Darth Vader over the Death Star nearly six months previously, but this pilot had no old nemesis to chase – no distractions that foolishly limited his focus. Wedge had come closer than anyone had ever gotten – save Keyan Farlander – to doing something once thought impossible: vaping Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker.

A hoot from his astromech droid coupled with the reddening of his targeting brackets on the X-wing's HUD alerted him that missile lock had been established. With no hesitation, Wedge squeezed the trigger on his flight stick. A single proton torpedo launched from the Incom-made starfighters, trailing blue fire as it's basic targeting computer led it toward Fel's Interceptor.

Based on all of Imperial intelligence he knew. Wedge knew that 181st Leaders wouldn't be able to eject, and there could be no countermeasures launched. The leader of the new elite squadron would have to outmaneuver the missile to escape alive.

Fel quickly throttled his Interceptor to full speed, obviously not wanting his life to end that day. He pointed his fighter toward the bow of the transport, hoping his superior flying skills would take care of two problems. He fired his laser cannons and watched as the shots played across the shields. He would have to time this maneuver just right. Too late and Fel's fighter would slam into the shield. Too soon, and the missile would destroy Fel.

Fel pulled back on his control yoke, silently hoping that he had timed correctly. Gravity slammed into him as his fighter soared upwards. The missile began to follow, curving upwards. It wasn't as lucky. Mid-way through its upward arc, the missile slammed into the shield protecting the Gallofree transport. The shield flared for a second, containing the massive explosion caused by the torpedo, before finally failing. Fire blossomed into the area once held secure by the shield before finally dying out.

"Our shields are down"! The _Remembrance_'s captain cried out as a group of TIEs and Interceptors that had evaded Rogue Squadron turned around, ready for a strafing run on the defenseless ship. Fear and desperation hung in the air of the command pad as the six beings crewing the ship did their best to survive.

181st Five, a human male from Coruscant, stared into his gunsights as he approached the medium-sized transport. There was approximately 500 meters that separated the beginning of the ship from the command pod, more than enough room for him to cause havoc amongst the traitors inside. He switched his lasers over to rapid-fire mode and began his strafing run. Green lasers flashed from his guns and very quickly reached the white armor of the ship. Small explosions erupted from the hull as the lasers pierced it. A slight hissing sound inaudible to everyone began to emit from the blast holes, the result of the pressurized interior of the ship escaping into the outside world. Fortunately for the rebels inside of the ship, the depressurization wouldn't prove fatal—yet.

Three more TIEs and Interceptors raced in, making strafing runs of their own. More small fires were set in various places of the ship's hull, but none of it could be considered a fatal blow. That was about to change.

Soontir Fel was unopposed as he flew towards his new target, the remaining TIEs of his squadron and the few reinforcements from the planet's Imperial base were currently keeping the Rogues occupied for the time being. With a flick of his black gloved fingers, Fel fire-linked all four of the Interceptor's laser cannons. He wouldn't fail on this one strike at the Rebellion. The command pod was near now, less than 300 meters from his position. He thumbed down both of the firing studs on his control yoke and waited, watching as the four separate laser shots flew towards the command pod.

They converged on each a meter away from the transparisteel viewports of the command pod, the strengthened blast slamming into the object and annihilating it completely. The shattered remnants of the viewport imploded into the ship slightly before the massive decompression of the command pod sent it exploding outward. One crewmember followed. The blast continued before it hit the back wall. It was followed by two more quad shots.

Fire blasted out of the empty area that was once a transparisteel barrier and the crippled ship began its downward plunge. Durasteel barriers swiftly closed off the source of decompression, but there was no one left to save. A few seconds later, the dead ship crashed into the ground.

Fel checked his sensors after the transport had crashed. It was now time for the secondary objective of this ambush: Kill Skywalker…

"This is Rogue Leader to all surviving Rogues," Wedge exclaimed as he skimmed the atmosphere of the planet. "I need a little help here." Trailing behind him, spitting laser shots every kilometer of the way, were the five remaining TIE Interceptors of the 181st. Through his canopy he could see the welcome image of a small Mon Calamari made ship—a former passenger liner that had been hastily converted into a warship. It was much smaller than the more familiar _Home One_, but it retained a similar shape. Wedge hoped that the ten pilots of Blue Squadron that were stationed aboard were scrambling to help the Rogues following the ambush on the planet. Blue Squadron, still without an actual name, was considered by some to be the second-best squadron that the Alliance to Restore the Republic had. It was headed by Keyan Farlander—who, like Luke, was also away on some classified Jedi mission.

"I'm on one of them, boss," Hobbie said as he fired towards one of the Interceptors. The shot headed off into space.

"C'mon, you can better than that," Janson spoke as he witnessed the shot shoot towards the MC80 cruiser. "This is how you do it," he instructed as his shot hit one of the vanes sticking out of the Interceptor, shearing it off. The hobbled TIE, without one laser cannon and slightly unstable, pulled away from the chase. Three more to go, and three kilometers to go before Wedge reached the safety of the MC80's point-defense guns.

_Why can't he suddenly become serious?_ Wedge thought as he continued to dodge the incoming shots. His X-wing bucked as another shot hit him, and the warning sirens that went off confirmed the worst. Shields were down. Another glancing shot nicked some of the red paint off of his port s-foil, leaving a black carbon score as a not-so-suitable replacement. _And why are they focusing on me?_ It was two kilometers from safety when he realized why. "It was an ambush set for Commander Skywalker…" he whispered. "And right now they think I'm him!"

"That's another one off your tail, Lead," Tycho replied as a small explosion erupted behind Wedge. "Hang tight, we're almost to the ship."

And then, just as it had begun, the battle was over. The two remaining TIE Interceptors broke off from their pursuit as the image of ten fresh X-wings appeared nearby. Blue Squadron had finally arrived.

_Three Days Later. Alliance transport _Home One.

"All signs point to a Moff Rebus," Jan Ors explained the markings on the large blaster cannon that the Jedi had brought back from the base on Talay. "As you can see from the manufacturers logo on both the weapon we discovered, as well as some of the other weapons the Alliance has collected over the years." She pressed a button, causing a composite of the same logo appearing on various other types of weapons.

"Is it possible that this Rebus is responsible for the new weapon that the Empire used against Tak Base?" Mon Mothma asked.

"Only this single part of it," Jan replied, freezing the slideshow of images on the weapon found by Keyan and Obi-Wan. "None of the Alliance's other info suggests that he's involved in something other than weapons manufacturing and design."

"Interesting," Mon Mothma softly spoke. "I'm sending you and Kyle Katarn on a mission to speak with this Rebus," she ordered. "Follow up on his last known location. Make sure we get where these weapons of his are shipped to. Or, if he isn't making them personally, who bought the design."

Jan nodded before leaving the room.

"Are you sure this is where you said he was?" Leia Organa asked skeptically as she sat foot in the swamp. With her minimally trained Jedi senses, she could sense a plethora of life on this planet, but there was no sign of a small, green, and wise Jedi Master that Obi-Wan had called Yoda. She remembered the name being spoken in the past, by her father, in various frequency during her childhood. She seemed to recall the name being thrown around relatively frequently between Bail Organa and Ylenic It'kla when she was ten, only to have it die down later on.

"I visited here years ago," Qu Rahn said, the Socorron Jedi Master replied from the shuttle. "Unless he's passed away, which I doubt, he should still be here."

"Seems like a good place to hide," she spoke to herself. "I wouldn't have thought of him—or anyone else—hiding out here."

Leia walked through the damp ground, the mud nearly sliding over her boots as she continued her search. "Master Yoda!" she yelled, hoping to get his attention. She walked a few meters, before seeing something far away. An unnatural looking light peering out of the fog was her only signal.

The light was part of a hut that barely matched Leia's height. "Is that you, Master Yoda?" she asked as she peered through one of the tiny windows of the hut. The insides were typical of someone living the life of a hermit, quite possibly the life of an exile.

"Spying into someone's home, proper behavior it is not," an almost gruff sounding voice said from behind her. Leia started at the voice, barely being able to retain her balance. She turned her head and saw a green alien. He was less than a meter tall, with long green ears. "Master Yoda," she spoke as she recognized the diminutive exile.

"Brings you here, what does Princess Organa?" Yoda asked, using her name of state.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi sent me here," she explained. "He requests your assistance, along with the other survivors of the purge."

"Known I have that come this day would. Sensed a change in the Force I did. And... a disturbance."

Leia couldn't control the tears that came to her eyes as Yoda mentioned the disturbance in the Force. Even after the months of being free of Imperial capture and months of healing, the topic of Alderaan's destruction was still a sore spot. She had carefully attempted to hide the pain from everyone in the Alliance, for people seeing her react the way she wished could lead to disastrous blow to morale. It was a scene that replayed itself in nightmares on a regular basis, one that she doubted would ever completely leave. Darth Vader kept a firm grip on her shoulder as Tarkin casually ordered the murder of billions of sentient beings. The planetary shield flared for less than a second, barely even delaying the inevitable. Then Alderaan was gone.

"Alderaan," she was barely able to even name her home planet. Her fathers, her mothers, several of her friends and several people that would have made good Alliance operatives. The Empire had taken all of them. Needlessly. A slight amount of anger flared within her; a part of herself wanting to take her vengeance upon everyone responsible, before finally dying down. Obi-Wan had said that revenge wasn't the way, that in the end it would accomplish nothing.

Yoda had sensed the slight outburst of anger, and worry instantly filled his heart. While she wasn't close yet, the danger of another Skywalker falling to the Dark Side was something to worry about. "Calm yourself," Yoda gently said. "Sensed it I did. A sad occurrence it was. A great man your father was."

"Thank you," Leia said. "His leadership has been greatly missed in the Alliance, especially after Garm and Mon had their falling out soon after the Battle of Yavin. Perhaps—if he had been alive—he could have kept the Corellians in the Alliance."

Yoda led Leia into his hut, the human woman having to crouch as she entered the small building. "Garm and Mon," he said aloud as he moved to fix a local tea. "Assume I do you speak of Garm Bel Iblis and Mon Mothma?" he asked, recalling the two senators that he remembered from years previously. He vaguely remembered the Delegation of 2000, a group of senators that had lobbied for then-Chancellor Palpatine to relinquish his emergency powers towards the end of the Clone Wars.

"Yes, Senators Bel Iblis and Mothma," Leia confirmed. "They and my father brought together their own individual rebel cells into a single group."

"A revolution," Yoda mused as he handed a cup of tea to Leia.

"We'd like to think of it more as the Republic trying to regain what it's lost," Leia responded, politely taking a sip from the tea. A quick smile hid the reaction to the horrid taste of the brew.

"Powerful the Emperor is," Yoda commented, a slight twinge of pain running down his back—a memory from his fateful plunge twenty years previously. "And powerful his apprentice is. What of Vader has Obi-Wan told you?" Yoda asked, wanting to know how much of the true story—if any—Leia knew. It was obvious that she knew some certain point of view of the events. The feelings of Vader killing two sets of parents had crossed her mind earlier.

Leia cleared her throat before beginning to tell the aged Jedi Master about what Vader had "done," grimacing slightly as some of the tea rose from her throat. "Obi-Wan said that it all started twenty years ago…"


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

"Looks like they're not giving up on us easy," Han Solo muttered as he struggled to keep the _Falcon_ out of turbolasers of the Imperial ship chasing them. The ship, a _Dreadnaught_-class heavy cruiser, followed, desperately attempting to keep the pace with the faster YT-1300. The five turbolaser batteries positioned on the ship's bow spewed green fire towards the _Falcon_, the turbolaser shots either missing the smuggling ship or barely impacting on the shields. The smaller—but more numerous—laser cannons also fired towards the Corellian-made freighter, the lasers sometimes crisscrossing as they raced away from the Imperial vessel.

"Never do," Quinlan grimly replied as he sat in one of navigator's seats, his crash webbing firmly in place. Beside him, the mother of Korto, Khaleen Hentz, sat in the fourth and final seat. Being one of the seemingly few Jedi Masters that had survived Sidious' intricate trap, Quinlan and his family had the targets of several high profile attempts on their lives. They hadn't even given up when they initially presumed him dead; the sole surviving Clone Commander on Kashyyyk threatened to firebomb the entire section of the planet just to make him show his face. Despite being badly wounded by the initial execution of Order 66 as well as the following pursuit, he had literally dropped in on Faie. The sudden attack left Faie dead and Vos with a horrendous blaster shot to the gut. He would have died himself if it wasn't for a Devaronian smuggler named Vilmarh "Villie" Grahrk.

Sensors are picking up additional signals, Chewbacca roared in the copilot's chair. Looks they've launched their TIE squadron. A Dreadnaught was a small ship compared to the other craft that the Imperial Navy had fielded against the Alliance before—a scant 600 meters long—but they had performed exceptionally well against pirates in the past. There was little doubt that if the large crew of the ship could pull enough of their weight, the _Falcon_ would be captured and the Jedi onboard would be in the hands of the Empire. It was oddly familiar…

"Chewie, take over," Han quickly said as he rushed out of his chair. He turned to the Jedi passenger before leaving the cockpit of the vessel. "Can you handle a quad laser cannon?"

"Korto's better than me," Quinlan conceded.

"I'm already on my way!" Han and the other three heard as the nearly 20-year-old Jedi ran to one of the quad guns. With one of the guns already being manned, and the TIE fighters steadily gaining on them, Han raced to the weapon's emplacement. The metal of the ladder felt cool in Han's hand as he slid down it to reach the belly gun.

"Can you hear me, Corton?" he asked as he slid a small comlink headset on.

"It's _Korto_," the half-Kiffar replied as he waited for the TIE fighters to get in range.

"Korto, Korto," Han muttered. "Sorry." _It's pretty hard to remember names when people are shooting' at you_, Han thought as he checked the small targeting computer located between the handgrips.

All that separated him from the vacuum of space were a few inches of transparisteel. A good shot from a TIE fighter could easily take out the gun and the gunner. _Not to mention I haven't heard your name when it wasn't nearly drowned out by enemy fire… I wonder what Leia's up to now._

"Tell her what you know about Darth Vader's true identity you will not," Yoda sternly ordered Qu Rahn as the two Jedi Masters secretly met in the Corellian Corvette's cargo hold. "Ready to hear the truth she is not."

"We're just lucky that I didn't let it slip earlier," the human Jedi replied. "Thank the Force that I was unaware of her legacy. I sensed a brief surge of anger on Dagobah shortly after she left the shuttle. What if she becomes like her father? Another Vader?"

"A soft spot for her the destruction of Alderaan still is," Yoda replied. "Blame her for it I do not, but controlled her emotions must be. At least now more guidance she will have."

"I can only hope that our guidance can be enough," Rahn replied, earning a nod from Yoda.

Vader angrily strode through the halls of the headquarters of Imperial Intelligence, a purposeful stride that intimidated everyone who stood in his path. Lowly agents pressed themselves against the white walls as the Dark Lord of the Sith came within a few meters of them, many of them wishing that they could meld into the walls of the structure.

He had heard of the attempted assassination of a Commander Luke Skywalker and a majority of Rogue Squadron from a top-secret transmission that came from Vader's own spy in both Imperial Intelligence as well as the Emperor's court. She was talented indeed, and Vader's idea for her to train under Palpatine as another one of his Hands would only make her more powerful. He had originally intended on using her to make his inevitable power play on Sidious' mantle, but the existence of Luke Skywalker soon turned her into nothing more than a simple tool to be used in his ultimate construction.

Now it seems that Imperial Intelligence—working without the Emperor's express consent—had ordered the ambush that had a chance of taking his heir's life. Part of him knew that he shouldn't be thinking of his son in this light; thinking of him as another type of tool to be used, but that type of thinking was drowned out by the anger and hatred for Palpatine that had grown. He was at the office of his target now, and he barged in, completely ignoring the secretary who did his best to both inform Lord Vader that his employer couldn't be disturbed at the moment as well as stay alive.

Ysanne Isard, Director of Imperial Intelligence, was reading a datapad detailing various operations against the Alliance when Darth Vader stormed through the door. She rapidly stood up, only to find herself back in her chair as an unseen force violently pushed her. Her red eye pulsed with molten fire as she looked up at her assailant. "What is the meaning of this?" she bravely asked, knowing that some people who addressed Vader this way didn't make it out of the conversation alive. Knowing that she might die anyway, she took the risk.

"I have found out through a source of mine that you were the one that ordered Skywalker's death," Darth Vader asked, his mechanical voice filled with malice.

"Yes," Isard simply and defiantly said. "I did order his death, and for good reason. Are you questioning my judg--"

Her last word was drowned out as Vader's right hand reached out. His hand was about a meter away, but she could still feel his cold, metallic fingers begin choking the life out of her. "I am indeed questioning your judgment, Director," he hissed, his fingers playing dangerously close to his robotic palm. "As of now, Skywalker is off limits from your assassins. No more ambushes, no more ploys. The Emperor has plans for him," he lied. "Am I being clear, Madam Director?"

Isard felt the invisible fingers around her throat release her as Vader lowered his arm, and for the briefest of seconds rejoiced that her life had been spared for the time. "You're being clear," she replied, wondering how she could voice her concerns without calling for an encore. "What about Rogue Squadron? Are we to let to them go free as well?" she asked, referring to the Rebel squadron that was already making quite a name for itself.

"The Rebels of Rogue Squadron are fair game," he told her. "Ambushes may be set up for them, but never again shall there be the secondary objective of 'Kill Skywalker.' If he dies in a battle, so be it," Vader conceded, knowing that even in his anger he would have to be somewhat reasonable. This time. "Now, you will tell me who was the Imperial Navy operative that you had to carry out the plan?" Vader asked menacingly.

"It was a Captain Garron," Isard answered. "I temporarily assigned the 181st TIE Interceptor squadron to his flagship."

The 181st… Vader had heard about them before. Their leader was supposed to be good, one of the best that the Empire had to offer.

"You and Fel are lucky that you may be of further use to the Empire," Darth Vader said as he turned to leave the room. "I'm afraid that Captain Garron doesn't… I warn you, however, not to get on my bad side again. I won't be as forgiving next time." His warning stated, Darth Vader stormed out of the room, but not before implanting a suggestion within Isard's brain that she should not tell the Emperor about the events that transpired in the office. For good measure, he wiped her secretary's mind as well.

Luke Skywalker stared at the head of Alliance intelligence as the much older man paced in front of the assembled members of Rogue Squadron. His mostly gray hair was streaked with strands of its original red color, and his green eyes studied everyone in the room. His name was General Airen Cracken, a highly decorated member of the Rebel Alliance and already a legend in the same organization.

"Do you really believe that someone in Rogue Squadron is a spy?" Luke Skywalker asked, not believing any word that the fifty-year-old general had told him. He felt that he could trust—and did—every single member of it with his life. He hadn't sensed any deceit in any of the members of the squadron, past or present.

"I'm not saying that it's necessarily a member of your squadron. It could be a member of your support staff," General Cracken replied. "In fact, I've pretty much all but cleared every single one of you," he added. "But someone had to inform the Imperials of your location. Someone with enough status to know where the squadron was heading. I do have a list of suspects," he said as he handed Luke Skywalker a datapad.

_Moresk Lim'nef_? He thought as he saw the foremost name on the datapad. The Bothan pilot had been one of the first few members of Rogue Squadron. He was one of Wes Janson's wingmates during the Battle of Yavin 4 and was shot down by Imperial TIE fighters during their flight from the planet. He had been wounded during the crash, requiring a prosthetic leg. He had also been captured by the Empire. Imperial doctors had made sure to bungle their operations on him enough to insure that the Bothan pilot would never be able to fly a military starfighter again, hoping to leave the Rebellion without another good pilot. After he had escaped from Imperial custody a month ago, Moresk had been placed in charge of maintaining the X-wings in good flying condition.

"Rogues dismissed," Luke said as he looked at the datapad. The rest of the squadron followed his orders, walking out of the briefing room. "If he is our traitor—if it truly does exist," Luke began. "Why didn't he just implant a bomb on my X-wing? Why lead us into an ambush, especially one where I wouldn't be?"

It's possible that his orders were to make your death appear to be something simple as being shot down in combat," Cracken replied. "And by the time he learned of your absence on the mission to Talay it was too late to call the strike off. He probably couldn't risk contacting the Empire at all."

"So, you think he's been brainwashed?" Luke asked.

"It's called a sleeper agent," Cracken replied. "Most of the time they don't even know what they're doing until the order comes in. We shouldn't take this as something Moresk personally did," he added. "Just another thing that the Empire would stoop to. It's a good thing we've spotted him when we did," Cracken said. "He could have very well informed the Empire of our new secret base when we move to it next month."

"Thank the Force for small miracles," Luke replied. "The last thing we need is another Yavin 4…"


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

Han slightly flinched as one of the laser cannon shots fired by one of the TIE fighters on the _Falcon_'s tail stopped meters away from his position, a fortunate victim of the still-holding shields on the heavily modified YT-1300. With a quick pull of the trigger, the offending TIE fighter was swatted down like a pesky insect, the quad cannon's shots converging right in the center of the balled cockpit. A clean kill.

The _Dreadnaught_-class ship was keeping the pace of the _Falcon_, the Wookiee pilot Chewbacca having to assume a relatively straight course to get out of the planet's gravity shadow.

"How much longer, Chewie?" Han asked as he squeezed off another shot towards a TIE fighter.

Give me another minute, Chewie replied at the helm. We're almost ready to start the computations.

"Now would be a good time, Chewie!" he exclaimed as another TIE fighter screamed towards him. He could feel the quad cannons vibrating in his hands as he swept the gun towards his pursuer, a steady stream of crimson fire lancing out from laser cannons. One of his shots impacted a nearby Imperial starfighter on the port pylon that separated the ball cockpit from one of the two solar panels that were a distinctive part of the ship. The fighter spun out of control, headed somewhere "below" the _Falcon_ where it would certainly either impact with a piece of space debris or keep drifting until—or if—a rescue would come.

A small flight of TIE fighters, one leader and two of his wingmen, converged upon the Corellian-made freighter, the leader's laser cannons pumping out dual-linked shots that were absorbed by the shields. Han aimed towards the leader, clearly and readily intent on firing the shot that would end the life of the Imperial pilot. A downward pointing spear of red crashed into the piece of heavy transparisteel viewport of the TIE fighter, instantly killing the pilot and igniting his oxygen reserves. The fighter expanded into a large cloud of green fire and debris that the surviving TIEs flew through.

"That one was _mine_," Han Solo complained as he targeted another TIE fighter, this time the one on the left.

"Sorry about that," Korto Vos nonchalantly said as he aimed the quad cannon under his control towards the TIE fighter on the right. The half-Kiffar Jedi was almost completely lost in the Force, a key tool to combat that his father had taught him when he was only a small boy. The Force "told" him to adjust his aim by a few degrees to starboard, an action that he took almost instinctively. The Force was hardly ever wrong in situations like this, and his "hunch" was proven as the TIE that he was targeting turned right into his sights. The shot hit the craft in the middle of its solar panel, turning it into a free-floating balls of rapidly cooling slag. A follow up shot hit the side of the cockpit before the ship could spin out of control. And with another explosion, only one TIE fighter remained.

Han took a quick aim at the remaining fighter, and then pulled the triggers. The hint of a small explosion appeared from the ship as the shot hit it. And then, the ship was gone. The stars were replaced by a stream of blue as the _Millennium Falcon_ entered hyperspace. Han slowly removed the headset from his head, a slight amount of sweat flying off it as he set them in their designated place. They had made it past the Imperial ships that had threatened to make spare parts—if even that—out of the _Falcon_, and there were no major injuries to either the ship or those on board. He climbed the ladder taking him from the gun emplacement, stopping on the main deck of the craft. Next stop: _Home One_.

Captain Barron sat in his quarters aboard the _Victory_-class Star Destroyer that he had been commanding for the past year. His assignment to the slightly antiquated vessel had taken place a few months before the treacherous rebels had destroyed their own world of Alderaan, the reward for two years of faithful and exemplary service aboard a _Guardian_-class light cruiser. His ambition was steady, and his dreams of one day being in the command chair of one of the newer Star Destroyers that the Imperial Navy was fielding.

The mission that had just concluded a few days previously was certain to be his fast track into that very command chair. He had been assigned one of the top TIE interceptor squadrons that the Empire had to offer, and then he had led them to battle against what had been called one of the top rebel squadrons in existence. The results of that battle had been a firm Imperial victory, despite his failure to defeat the rebel capital ship that had housed the enemy squadron.

"Captain Barron, sir," the voice of the on duty communications officer said from the speaker located near the Captain's door. "We have an incoming message addressed specifically to you. It's from Imperial Center and labeled as 'high priority,' sir."

At last! It was the opportunity that he was waiting for. A true evaluation and a just reward for all of his service. "Channel it through to here," he said. An image flickered into the room from an overhead holotransmitter. The figure that appeared before him was not an official member of the Imperial Navy, nor was it the face of Ysanne Isard—the director of Imperial Intelligence and the person who had assigned him to the ambush of Rogue Squadron and the assassination of its leader. No, this figure was clad from head to toe in an imposing suit of black armor. Even the holographic representation of the man—if that's what he was—radiated fear.

"Captain Barron," the figure said, the voice coming out of his helmet in a deep, mechanical way. "I understand that the rebel unit known as Rogue Squadron was a recent target of yours."

"Yes, sir," Captain Barron smugly said. "I must say that the fighter group assigned to me did an excellent job in routing them," he lied, hoping to impress this obvious superior more.

"That is all I need to know," the dark figure said, just before the excruciating pain began to wrack Barron's body.

"So, what should we do about Moresk?" Luke Skywalker asked in the safety of one the many pilot lounges that _Home One _had to offer. Assembled before him was the entirety of Rogue Squadron, all six of them. Over the past 24 hours he had been thinking of ways to deal with the sleeper agent that had been placed in Rogue Squadron's support personnel by the Empire, but had gotten nowhere. General Cracken had suggested that Luke or another member of Rogue Squadron be the first to confront the Bothan technician; hopefully being confronted by people that he considered friends would be infinitely better than having Alliance Security personnel show up and drag him away.

"I can't believe it was him," Wedge answered from across the table. "After all he's been through. It's not like him to serve the Empire."

"General Cracken said that they did something with his brain," Luke replied. "Turned him into a 'sleeper agent.'"

"At least we've caught him in time," Hobbie added, his perpetually mournful looking face seeming even more down at the moment. "It could have been completely disastrous if we hadn't."

"It was already disastrous," Wes replied, almost breaking character with a serious reply. "We lost a lot of good people out there."

"We can't let that cloud our judgment for this matter," Wedge replied to Wes' comment. "If what General Cracken said is true, then Moresk had no control over his actions."

"I say I talk to him about it," Luke volunteered. "I can use the Force to get his general feelings about the subject as I slowly bring it up. If he gets out of hand, two of you come to my rescue, stun sticks at the ready."

"Great, a Jedi might need my help in rescuing him," Wes added. "I feel safer already…"

"I can't do everything," Luke replied.

"Well, when does this happen?" Tycho asked, breaking his silence.

"Right now," Luke answered before standing up.

"I hate it when he does that," Wes muttered under his breath as the others left. The Tanaab pilot checked his blaster pistol, ensuring that it was set for stun, before following his friends out towards the main hangar.

"I hate it when this happens," Wes cursed as Luke Skywalker curled on the floor, the victim of a display of superBothan strength from the suspected sleeper agent. The discussion had gone well until Moresk had suddenly snapped, shoving the leader of Rogue Squadron into one of the S-foils of a nearby X-wing. To Luke's credit, the Jedi sensed the upcoming attack but had difficulty in fully evading it. After more than likely concussing his superior officer, Moresk then proceeded to run directly away from the group of pilots who quickly gave chase. All of the pilots save for Wes Janson.

The almost always joking pilot was about to reveal another skill that he excelled at.

Wes quickly removed his blaster pistol from the holster around his waist, once again checking it to ensure that the following action wouldn't kill the fleeing Bothan. He had been forced to shoot down a member of his previous squadron years previously when a member of the Tierfon Yellow Aces had a panic attack. There was no way to disable the ship, and it had unfortunately turned into a case of having to kill the one pilot or have the entire squadron compromised.

Satisfied with his blaster, Wes quickly aimed towards the fleeing Bothan. He was in luck, his target was still in range. With a quick motion, he pulled the trigger. A bright blue ring emerged from the barrel of the blaster pistol. It quickly traveled the four meters that separated target from targeter, passing by the gap between Wedge and Hobbie as it continued its journey. The shot finally came to rest on the small of Moresk's back, sending a brief surge of pain throughout the Bothan's body before he passed out.

"Where am I?" Luke asked as Tycho helped him off of the floor. "What happened?"

"It looks like he has a concussion," Tycho said, confirming Wes' quick diagnosis. The confusion that the young Jedi exhibited along with the temporary amnesia were the telltale signs. "We better get both of them to the nearest medbay," he said, motioning towards the stunned Bothan. "We need to make sure he didn't break anything after Wes shot him."

"I'll go contact General Cracken about this," Hobbie added, regretfully volunteering to fully turn a former member of Rogue Squadron in to Alliance Intelligence. He mentally added a wish that whatever the Empire had done to Moresk's mind could be reversed.


	27. Chapter 27 28

Chapter 27 

"Poor Moresk," Tycho Celchu said as he watched two members of Alliance Intelligence interrogate the Bothan. An inches thick piece of transparisteel absorbed all sound waves, blocking a person from hearing anything that occurred on the other side. Even though Tycho and the rest of Rogue Squadron, save the still recovering Luke Skywalker, couldn't hear a word that was going on in the interrogation room, the body language used was able to tell a story.

The two interrogators walked around the room, making their power well known. Moresk, however, sat almost motionless in his chair, either completely ashamed of what he had been forced to do, or grossly apathetic. A few slight twitches of the fur near the Bothan's neck pointed towards something near anger, however. The target of the anger was unknown, however.

"Whatever they did to him, they did it well," Airen Cracken, head of Alliance Intelligence said as he watched. A small set of headphones placed on his head allowed him to listen to the entirety of what was being said in the room, but any information that he heard were for his ears only. "That's completely unofficial, however," he added.

"I didn't hear you say anything," Wes joked, letting the much older officer know that whatever they heard wouldn't be repeated to anyone else.

"That's good," Cracken replied. "I also won't say that it's going to be difficult to break through whatever they did to him."

"What'll happen if you aren't?" Hobbie asked, a hint of pessimism in his voice.

"I can't give that information out," Cracken replied. "Even unofficially. I'm sorry, but I do hope that whatever treatment he gets is able to help him."

"This is bad," Wedge whispered to the core group of Rogues as they rode a turbolift towards the simulator room.

"Very," Hobbie added. "It almost sounded like that they would kill him if he couldn't be cured."

"That or make him be all but dead," Tycho responded. "Keep him under a very strict form of house arrest, essentially make him have _no_ life at all."

"I wish I could say that it would be for the best, but I can't," Wes said as the turbolift door opened. "How would any of us feel if we were punished for essentially being used as a puppet?"

"But if he can't be cured, he would be a threat to everyone on this ship," Wedge added, slipping into the role of Sith's Advocate. "Even if it isn't his fault."

"I hate moral dilemmas this early in the morning," Wes spoke up, rubbing his eyes with his fingers.

"It's good to see you in one piece, Princess," Han Solo said, a mixture of his usual cockiness and genuine concern in his voice as he saw Leia Organa step off her Corellian-made shuttle. He ignored the two Jedi stepping off of the ship behind her—save a look of puzzlement as a freakishly tall, green and bipedal frog followed a dark-skinned man out of the ship—and focused instead on her. During the mission to recover the Jedi, he found it strange whenever he was in danger, he often found himself concerned over her safety. She didn't have the years of hardened combat experience that he had. That was, however, no disrespect on her obvious ability to handle herself in a firefight, she had proven herself to him during the escape from the Death Star.

_Great_, he thought. _All of Chewie's talk about _his _family is makin' me soft._

"Why the surprise?" Leia replied.

"Imperial trouble on my side of the mission," Han answered. "I figured that you'd have the same problems."

"And you're implying that my crew and myself couldn't handle ourselves?" Leia asked, bemusement creeping into her voice.

"I didn't say anything about that, your highness," Han answered. "I was just making a simple statement about your well-being and how happy I am to see that you—'re passengers managed to avoid the Imps." Han mentally gave himself a good verbal lashing. He had almost done an extremely foolish thing and admitted his feelings for her. He did, however, give credit to himself for the good save.

"Nothing you say is a simple statement," Leia interjected, leaving Han wondering if she hadn't gone Jedi on him.

"That's not true," Han casually replied as he and Leia paced around their immediate area, not hearing the faint popping sound of another ship entering the hangar. "I say a lot of simple statements."

"Name one," Leia challenged, a victorious smile spreading across her face.

Han thought a minute, knowing that he had more than likely been beaten. "What is that smell?" he finally said.

"What's tha--?" Leia began to ask before a completely rank smell filled the air next to her. "What is that?" she asked, beginning to hold her nose.

"Great, now you two are doing it, too," the voice of Kyle Katarn followed the stench. The former Imperial Stormtrooper and current trainee of Obi-Wan Kenobi walked past them. He stopped for a second, a movement that caused the smell of sewage to almost congregate in the area. "I've heard nothing but wisecracks from Jan the whole trip back. I'm going to need some industrial-grade cleaner to get rid of this smell," his voice began trailing away as he made his way out of the hangar.

"What the hell was that all about?" Han asked. "And what was he crawling in?"

"Fortunately, I think that's classified," Leia replied after finally giving up on holding her nose.

"You Rebel scum will never get a word out of me!" the others in the room heard an unfamiliar male voice cry out from further back in the hangar.

"I have a perfect way to get info out of you," Jan Ors replied, leading the stuncuffed Rebus out of the hangar bay. She raised the volume of her voice, making sure that her intended target could hear what she would say next. "There's a medication out there to enhance your sense of smell. We'll give you that and then stick you in a room with Kyle!"

The Jedi, who by now had managed to get together in a group next to the shuttle that had brought in Qu Rahn and Yoda, looked amazed at the events of what just happened. Han and Leia had started up their somewhat friendly argument again, leaving them feeling somewhat ignored.

"So," Quinlan Vos whispered to the rest of the Jedi, finally breaking the silence. "Who wants to place bets on who gets together first?"

"Find Obi-Wan ourselves, we apparently must," Yoda said, ignoring Quinlan's rare attempt at a joke as he began to walk out of the hangar as well.

"Some welcoming committee," Khaleen Hentz muttered as she followed Quinlan and their son, all three of them following the diminutive Jedi Master out of the hangar.

"Blame them do not," Yoda said after hearing Khaleen's complaint. "Blinded by the moment they are. More to worry about we have."

"Like the Imperials that attacked us, Master…" Korto trailed off, trying to remember the name of the small Jedi that he was speaking to.

"Yoda," his father supplied.

"Master Yoda," Korto finished his sentence.

Inside of his black mask, Darth Vader narrowed his browless eyes as his lightsaber cut through the body of a rebel soldier with no resistance. The sound of blasterfire filled the area, the sound of two sides of soldiers as they struggled to remain alive. A red bolt burned towards him, only to quickly rebound towards the ground as Vader subconsciously raised his lightsaber towards it. It hit the ground a meter in front of him, only doing as much as to stir up a slight amount of dirt.

This particular band of rebels was a small and independent group, one that probably didn't even know of the existance of the Alderaanian/Chandrilan cell that was giving the Empire the most trouble. One that would be easy to destroy. One that wouldn't combine with another group or get a lucky break. No, this one would be dealt with swiftly.

"Run away!" he could hear a rebel say off in the distance. That rebel didn't last long enough to follow his own advice, however. A missile fired from the side launcher of an AT-ST exploded a few meters away from him, sending his dead body flying towards the Imperial forces that had killed him. The rebels that were near him but far enough to escape the blast unharmed slowly backed away from the steadily advancing Imperial troops, hoping to reach one of the ships that were escaping the battlezone.

Vader cut through another rebel soldier that had foolishly decided to stay too long, the anger inside of him always hovering near the brink of him losing his control over it. It was easier, he thought, to fight like this than to think about the things that were bothering him. He had always found that using his anger was easy, always. And every rebel that he killed temporarily took his mind off of his son. The son that even now was being corrupted by Obi-Wan. When they finally would meet, Luke would hate him. Vader ignored the tiny voice in his head telling himself that he should be hated, it was almost drowned out by the animal violence that swirled through him at the moment.

"Look out, Lord Vader! They're targeting you!" Vader could hear a lieutenant warn him. He looked ahead and saw what the new threat was. A large laser cannon, its barrel wider than the barrels of 3-4 blaster rifles, was aimed directly at him. A quick sense of the area using the Force told him that the AT-ST was too busy chasing ground targets than to deal with this heavy threat. If he was to survive, he would have to save himself.

The barrel flashed and the cannon moved back very slightly due to the recoil of firing. The red bolt of energy raced towards Vader, the shot itself enough to instantly vaporize the majority of a human upon contact. Darth Vader raised his lightsaber towards the cannon fire that sizzled the air around him and prepared for what would happen.

They're weren't many Jedi that could accomplish what happened next. Only one with significant power could actually even attempt it. Darth Vader was one of them. He felt the Force, a dark and violent energy opposed to the calming aura that the others would use, flow through what remained of his organic body, strengthening him, preparing him. His lightsaber hit the shot from the laser cannon, his arms—and their mechanical prosthetics—strained against the velocity of it. The few milliseconds that passed felt like minutes as Vader attempted to deflect the blast back to the laser cannon that fired it. The blast finally rebounded off of his lightsaber and soared back to its point of origin. The white emplacement that housed the laser cannon exploded as its own shot hit it, sending chunks of durasteel flying into the rebel army. The shrapnel generated by the exploding emplacement killed or wounded an additional seven rebels.

"Sithspawn, did you just see that!" a Stormtrooper next to Vader exclaimed as he slowly got up from the ground, having hit it as soon as the emplacement fired. Vader ignored the trooper's profanity and trudged back into the fighting, breathing hard and heavily fatigued from the feat that he had just accomplished. Already he could see rebels frightened of his display of power throw down their weapons and raise their hands in the near-universal sign of surrender.

"Take care of them, lieutenant," Vader instructed. "Make sure their surrender is sincere. I shall return to the forward command center, contact me immediately if you require my assistance."

"It will be done, Lord Vader," the Stormtrooper lieutenant said with a salute. "Keep those hands up!" he yelled as he walked towards the surrendering rebels, his voice being artificially amplified by his helmet.

Chapter 28 

Obi-Wan Kenobi stood inside one of the many conference rooms inside of the Mon Calamari-made space cruiser _Home One_, a simple holoprojector on the table next to him. He had no idea how much of what happened during the past twenty years that the other Jedi in the room knew, and he hoped that he didn't have to make any really shocking revelations again. It was too hard the last time, and there was still one left to tell. In a way, Obi-Wan thought as he looked over the three Jedi Masters and the son of Quinlan Vos, it was kind of like a new Jedi Council. Although he hoped that it wouldn't be a formal part of the Jedi Order that he had created.

"Let me be the first to say that it's good to see all of you alive," Obi-Wan began. "A lot has happened in the past two decades," he added. "As you all may know.

"I guess the most important thing to tell you is the identity of the female Force-sensitive that escorted you to this vessel."

"You mean the one who kept arguing with the smuggler that brought in Quinlan and his family?" Qu Rahn asked.

"That'll be the one," Obi-Wan replied. "I'm sure that you heard her name as Leia Organa. She is, however, only the adopted daughter of the late Senator. Her real parents were Padmé Amidala and…" Obi-Wan paused for a minute, not knowing what Quinlan and Qu knew of the young woman's true heritage. "Anakin Skywalker," he finished, noting the reactions of the three potentially unaware Jedi. Qu Rahn had no look of surprise on his face whatsoever, and his body language seemed to suggest that was aware of the secret. Quinlan, on the other hand, obviously hadn't heard of this cosmic revelation previously. The Kiffar Jedi Master let out a low whistle, figuring out the potential Force potential of the young woman known as Leia Organa.

"She isn't the only one," Obi-Wan added. "Anakin and Padmé were the parents of twins. The other child is currently the leader of Rogue Squadron, one of the Alliance's top starfighter groups."

"Like father, like son," Quinlan replied, having seen what the Jedi now known as Darth Vader could do behind the controls of a starfighter.

"Given time, he might just be better than Anakin," Obi-Wan replied to his old friend's statement. "At least as a pilot."

"Good morning, sir," the 2-1B droid responded as Luke Skywalker woke up inside of the medical bay. He had been sleeping for the past nine hours, under heavy surveillance from the medical droids. The throbbing pain in the back of his head had now all but disappeared.

"What happened?" Luke asked, the memory of the event still slightly hazy in his mind.

"One of your ground personnel, a Bothan named Moresk Lim'nef, attacked you, sir," the medical droid replied. "You were brought here where you were diagnosed as having a mild concussion."

"Where's Moresk?" Luke asked, anxious to hear about what happened to the brainwashed assailant.

"He is currently being seen by Alliance Intelligence Operatives. That is all I know."

A look of worry crossed the young Jedi's face as the medical droid mentioned Moresk's interrogation. "So, there's been no new news?" he asked.

"Unfortunately not," the medical droid replied. "You are free to go," he added, getting back to his primary function. "You are not, however, cleared to fly for at least a week."

"I'll inform Wedge," Luke said, not very enthused at being grounded for five days. "Looks like he's going to be Rogue Leader for a few more days."

Captain—and secretly Grand Admiral—Thrawn stared out of his viewports towards the small Imperial fleet that he had command of. He had been promoted to that rare rank nearly three years previously, the thirteenth member of a group that only officially numbered 12. He was a Chiss, a blue-skinned humanoid species that lived beyond the Outer Rim in an area unknown to most galactic scientists. He had been exiled from his home planet many years previously; exiled on a planet and then found by a member of Palpatine's Empire, where he had made his home for the past 15 years.

The Imperial fleet that had been placed under his command consisted of _Vengeance_, and two smaller _Victory_-class Star Destroyers.

"Are you certain that the Rebels will be there?" Thrawn asked, not even bothering to turn his head towards the Dark Jedi "in command" of the vessel.

"I have foreseen it, and the Emperor shares my optimism," the black-and-red clad form of Jerec, one of the Emperor's many Dark Jedi cohorts, said.

Thrawn slowly turned his head around to view the old Dark Jedi behind him. He was sitting in a command chair near the crew pit of the vessel, dressed—as always in his black and red colored robes. A thin strip of leather covered where the eyes of a normal near-human would be, but beneath it was nothing. The old man looked cadaverous, like a somehow still animate corpse sitting in the chair. Looking upon the Dark Jedi sent a chill down one's spine, a chill that even slightly disturbed Thrawn, himself. Thrawn had heard from the Emperor about Jerec's possible move for power, and was assigned by the Emperor to personally keep an eye on the former Jedi Master. Any sign of rebellion was to be reported directly to the Emperor himself.

"As you say, Lord Jerec," Thrawn simply replied. He had had a few experiences with Dark Jedi in the past, and his last encounter wasn't entirely successful.

Jerec regarded Thrawn slightly differently than most other Imperials did. They usually regarded the blue-skinned Captain as somewhat lesser than them, on account of his non-human heritage. Despite his talents, he would always be considered a second-class officer. Yet, to him, Thrawn was a threat. A tactically superior officer that put the good of the overall Empire ahead of the good of the Dark Side; if there ever was a split between Palpatine's Dark Side elite and the overall Empire, it seemed as if Thrawn would quickly join with the Imperial loyalists. Despite the Force, if he commanded their troops, the Empire would surely win. He seen this in a vision that had come to him a few days after the rebels of Sulon had been dealt with; a vision that showed Thrawn in command of an Empire without the Emperor. An Empire ruled under the hand of Thrawn.

Yet, despite their mutual fear and mistrust of each other, the two would have to work together. An Empire divided would lead to the Rebels winning, a fate that neither of the two wanted to happen. And this mission: a strike against one of the Rebels most powerful space vessels.

"If I may ask, Lord Jerec, where did you get this information from?"

"The Force sometimes leads us to what we seek," Jerec replied, wishing that it would provide him or the Emperor with the location of the new base that the Rebels had to have set up, or provide Jerec with the location for the one place that he wished to see the most…

The Force… Thrawn had little experience with the mystical energy field that the Jedi and the Sith used to their own great advantage. Yet while he placed his trust in simpler matters: strategy, cunning, and tactics, Thrawn knew that the Force had its place, at least for now.

"Set course for the ambush coordinates," Thrawn ordered the helmsman, and it wasn't long before he was seeing the stars in front of him converge into the blue brilliance of hyperspace.

"Ready to know the truth, they are not," Yoda insistently stated, rapping his gimer stick cane against the table to animate his adamant stance on the issue being discussed. "At risk Leia already is. To know the truth now, send her down a dark path it will."

"What will be worse?" Quinlan Vos asked. "Her learning the truth from us—people that she knows that she can trust—or learning it from an Imperial?"

"I agree with Master Vos," Qu Rahn stated. "You've said that the Empire has captured a few of the Alliance's top personnel, ones that can likely point to the identity of Anakin's children. When Vader or the Emperor hears of this, there are two things that can be done, none of them good."

"They can send assassins, which you've said that they've already tried, or they'll try to turn them to the Dark Side. We can't afford for that to happen," Quinlan replied.

"Indeed we can't," Obi-Wan stated, agreeing with Vos' comment, "that is why we must wait for at least a while. If they would be told now, they could easily fall."

"This seems like an almost lose-lose situation," Korto Vos said from his chair far away from the conference table. As the three Jedi that didn't train him had just officially declared him a Jedi Knight, he was the only non-Jedi Master in the room. He had been listening to the debate silently, not officially being allowed to take part in it due to his not being a Jedi Master. "You tell them now, they may fall; the Empire tells them later, they may fall…"

"Hence the whole debate," Obi-Wan replied. "Since it appears that we're deadlocked, what do you have to say about this?"

"I have to admit that I see the reason why you are," Korto replied. "It does seem like a hard decision to make." Korto thoughtfully rubbed his chin, almost as if he was trying to think of an answer right then. "I know that my father," he motioned to Quinlan, "told me about his struggle with the Dark Side during the Clone Wars, but I doubt that anything that he did can compare with what Vader's done. No offense, father," he quickly added.

"None taken, and I happen to agree with you."

"I do, however, have to agree with Masters Kenobi and Yoda when they say that we shouldn't tell the younger Skywalkers about their heritage as the heirs of Darth Vader just yet."

"Well, our majority that appears to be," Yoda replied. "Unveil their heritage at another time we will, but hope I do that not too late it will be," he warned.

"Same here," Quinlan said, even though he had argued for telling the two Skywalker heirs of their connection to Vader. The rest of the Jedi in the room quickly agreed.

"Now that we've agreed to wait, what do we do with our time?" Rahn asked.

"I've slowly been trying to get them ready," Obi-Wan answered. "I've gradually been slipping in stories about how good of a man Darth Vader was before his fall to the Dark Side. In Luke it seems to be working, but Leia is obviously having some difficulty with that fact."

"Tortured by Vader she was," Yoda said. "Forced her to watch Alderaan's destruction, Vader did."

"That is the primary reason why I've waited to tell them the full truth," Obi-Wan replied.

The Mon Calamari ship _Independence_, sister ship of the mighty _Home One_, floated alone inside of a desolate system in the Outer Rim. Like its sister ship, she carried the many bumpy growths along her hull—a functional part of the design and one carried by almost all ships made by the aquatic rebels.

Admiral Hallos sat in his command chair, wearing the white uniform common amongst the Mon Calamari officers. His eyes stared at computer readouts that were optimized for his species, the deep salmon-colored barbels on his throat moving slightly.

"Admiral! We have multiple contacts coming out of hyperspace!" an aide shouted from his partially portable station. "Looks to be Imperial!"

"We're still caught in the gravity well of the planet, sir," the helmsman said, relaying the horrible news in a matter of fact voice.

"Shields up!" he commanded, hoping that he could fill the role of Ackbar, the former commander of this vessel. "Alert Blue Squadron and the others. Tell them to launch fighters!

"And get us out of this system as soon as possible," he added, not knowing the tactical genius of the man that he was about to face in combat.


	28. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

"I copy, Control," Keyan Farlander reported in to the flight controller aboard the _Independence_ as he received the order to launch starfighters. "Blue Squadron report in. This is Leader, four lit and in the green," he commed, listening as similar comments filled the air of his cockpit as the rest of Blue Squadron reported their spacecraft as "Go."

He allowed himself a quick glance at the holo of Lynia Delline, the half-human woman whom he had fallen in love with during his time in the Alliance. She was onboard the _Independence_ at that very moment, and Keyan couldn't help but feel worried for her. He shook his head, trying to get thoughts that could easily lead to the Dark Side in this battle out of his head. He needed his thoughts to be clear. No fear should cloud his judgment, no anger towards the enemy. He also thought that those who first set those rules down had never been in a dogfight… Although it had been Master Kenobi who had formally taught him that maxim, and his skill in a starfighter was almost legendary.

"Sir, you're holding us up," Blue Three said, breaking Keyan out of his thoughts.

"I don't hold people up, consider it a Force thing," Keyan bluffed, explaining his slight drifting. "Pair up into your usual flights and launch on my mark. Mark."

Twelve X-wings rose up off of the hangar floor, repulsorlifts humming perfectly as the ships flew their way through the blue magcon shield that separated them from the harsh vacuum of space. Keyan's ship led, followed closely by Blues Five, Eight, and Eleven—the members of One Flight. Two and Three Flight were next, sticking close together in their respective groups.

Outside of the 1.2 km long Mon Calamari made starship, Keyan could already see the reddish flashes of light emitting from the three Star Destroyers as they opened fire upon the ship in which he had just flown out of. There were two Vics and one Imp out there, far too much of a threat to the snubfighter squadrons than they were to them.

"Shields up," Keyan ordered as ForKay scanned the immediate area for danger. It wasn't long before a green circle appeared around his X-wing on the console. "Lock s-foils into attack position," he added, flipped a switch above his head. A targeting bracket soon followed, appearing on the HUD of the X-wing as the two s-foils on each side of the fighter parted.

"Leader, Five," Keyan heard a fellow pilot report in to him through the public comm channel, "my R3 unit is picking up multiple signals coming from the area around the Destroyers, could be TIEs."

Keyan looked at his sensor scope and easily confirmed the sighting that one of his wingmates had spotted. "I copy, Five," Keyan responded. "Switch shields to double-front. Keep them there until we get within 80 meters of them, then level them out." There was one major advantage that X-wings and most other Alliance starfighters had against their Imperial counterparts: shields. In a head on fight—like what was about to transpire—X-wings had a much better chance of survival than a TIE fighter.

The blips on the screen were almost too numerous to count, but Keyan knew the rough amount of starfighter squadrons that could have been stored inside of those Destroyers. Each Vic could hold one squadron, while the Imp could easily hold six. Eight squadrons against five. Ninety-six starfighters to fifty. "I've got a very bad feeling about this," Keyan whispered as the TIEs slowly became visible to the naked eye; a giant cloud of bluish-gray that temporarily blotted out the stars. "May the Force be with us," he prayed, shutting his eyes and hoping that the Force would let him survive the battle, and bring along as many of his friends and copilots that he could.

* * *

Admiral Hallos looked at the three enemy ships that were heading not towards him, but towards his most convenient escape route. It would be near impossible to escape any other way; the fuel expenditure and other factors making it extremely difficult.

"Have our fighters launched?" he asked, his Mon Calamari accent becoming thicker as the nervousness of the battle situation intensified.

"Yes, sir," an officer reported, wishing that the vessel hadn't been half-stocked with fighters.

"Have our gunners concentrate a majority of our firepower on that _Imperial_ Star Destroyer," Hallos commanded. "Those Vics still pack a punch, but they're the least of our worries." He watched and listened as his tactical officer relayed the order to the gunners. "Tell all non-essential personnel to congregate in the middle of the ship," he added. "I don't want any unneeded deaths."

"Sir, incoming fighters," the sensor operator reported. "They're engaging ours! We're also picking up bombers!"

Admiral Hallos let loose a curse in his own language.

* * *

"I copy that Command," Keyan replied to the voice in his ear. "Blue Squadron, this is Leader. We have a squadron of bombers headed towards the _Independence_. I repeat: we have dupes inbound."

"Two here; I take it that it's up to us to make sure that they don't turn our ship into slag?" another one of Keyan's wingmates said.

"That's our current orders, Two," Keyan replied. "Two Flight, on me. Three Flight, wait a few seconds before following us. Maybe we can hit them off guard…"

Keyan boosted his throttle, increasing his speed and causing the other members of One and Two Flight to do the same. With a small whistle, Forkay alerted the pilot Jedi that he had already painted the incoming bomber squadron as primary target. There was no doubt that the other astromech droids were doing the same thing. Battle would begin shortly.

He studied the console in front of him, checking to make sure that his lasers were currently fire-linked into dual-fire mode, making sure that he was flying at the correct attack speed, one quick glance at the holo. He closed his eyes, feeling the Force flow over him as he relaxed, almost sinking into the cushion of his chair. He cleared his mind of all distractions as the TIE bombers fired their laser cannon towards him and his squadron. He didn't hear the sounds of the green laser fire headed towards his ship, or hear the scream of the TIEs that flew past him. He felt them, however.

His finger squeezed the trigger automatically, sending two red blasts towards a target that he couldn't see. A target that was soon bisected by his laser fire. The Force moved his right arm left, sending the craft onto its port s-foil. A quick pull on the flight stick sent his X-wing turning towards the back of the bomber squadron. "Their support is here," he could barely hear another one of his pilots report, referring to TIE fighters that followed behind the bombers.

The rocking of his X-wing as one of the protecting TIE fighters glanced his shields, barely doing any damage, but it was enough to break Keyan's concentration. His Force-induced trance dropped, leaving him relatively on his own. He slowly exhaled, calming himself once again. It was for the better, he realized, remembering how giving himself up completely to the Force had resulted in having to eject over Yavin 4.

"One Flight, how are you doing?" he asked.

"Not as good as you were, sir," Blue Two replied. "We could barely keep up with you."

_Now they know how the Rogues feel_, Keyan thought as he vaporized a TIE fighter. _Except that _they_ have to work twice as hard to keep up with Luke_. In the initial stages of training as a Jedi, it had been obvious that Keyan was the better combat pilot. As Luke had gotten more and more used to combat flying, however, Keyan quickly got used to being second best.

"I've got one on my tail!" Blue Five exclaimed, his Rodian accent thickening. "I can't…" the rest of the sentence degenerated into a language that Keyan couldn't understand—probably Rodian or Huttese. The despair and fear in his voice was enough to get the message across, however.

"I copy, Five," Keyan replied, shifting his X-wing to intercept the TIE on his wingmate's tail. He could see the black solar panel of the Imperial fighter as it chased the gray X-wing throughout space. He lead the TIE fighter using both his experience behind the flight stick of an X-wing as well as the Force. _Fire now_, he felt, prompting him to fire upon the Imperial. Two fire-linked laser cannons fired towards the TIE, converging a few meters from the panel. The shot hit the upper portion of the panel, reducing a portion of it into quickly cooling slag and sending what remained into space. The TIE fighter spiraled into space, unable to completely control itself.

* * *

The turbolaser fire began to soar between the four capital ships, the distance at this point still causing almost every single shot to miss. Admiral Hallos watched as the three Star Destroyers grew ever larger in the viewport, the gray triangles standing out immensely against the backdrop of stars behind them. A few lucky shots pinged against the shields, yet the damage caused was minimal. The Mon Calamari wished that he could concentrate all shields to the front of the vessel, but the swarming squadrons of TIE fighters that swarmed around the ship like bloodsucking pests on various worlds prevented that.

"Sir, we have incoming missiles!" an officer reported, seeing multiple sensor contacts on his screen that weren't there a second previously.

Seven missiles arced towards the Mon Calamari cruiser, one from each of the surviving bombers that had been launched from the _Vengeance_. They exploded meters away from the hull, stopped by the shield that absorbed all of the energy outputted by the explosion.

"Starboard shields weakened by 8, admiral," a crewmember stated.

_It'll get worse by the time we reach those Star Destroyers_, Hallos grimly thought.

"Order Blue Squadron to take those bombers out!" he ordered.

"We already have, sir," the flight control officer reported.

* * *

"At last, we have them trapped!" Jerec exclaimed as he watched the carnage begin to unfold before him. The fighters had already engaged the rebels, and battle had begun.

"We do, Lord Jerec," Thrawn replied, studying the movements of the rebel ship as it moved towards them. Mon Calamari vessels were considered to be works of art by those that made them, and works of art were what Thrawn studied. He had always believed that fundamental flaws and other tactical options could be found in studying the art of a species or culture, and from his experiences it appeared that he was correct. The main problem, however, was that singularly Rebel artworks were hard to find. One couldn't simply look at an Alderaanian of Chandrilan work of art and gain any real rebel tactics in them; the artist that created that work may have been an ardent supporter of the Empire. Now, he had a genuinely rebel piece of art to study.

"Lord Jerec, I would suggest moving the nearest _Victory _Star Destroyer a few degrees towards us. I believe that they will attempt to force into a position in which friendly fire may be maximized. Narrow the gap and it won't happen."

"_Iron Fist_, this is _Vengeance_," Jerec said over the holocommunications device, a portly mustachioed Imperial officer in a captain's uniform answering. "Close up towards us, Captain Thrawn believes that the rebels are attempting something."

"We will do as ordered, Lord Jerec," the captain replied.


	29. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

Admiral Hallos lowered his head as he watched the _Victory_-class Star Destroyer known as _Iron Fist_ float into the space that he had planned to fly straight through. His mind raced for potential backup plans, hoping that whatever he picked would lead to the escape of the _Independence_, as well as the loss of as few lives as possible. He could attempt to fight the Vic and punch his way through the Imperial formation, but that tactic was never guaranteed, and it would put him in the perfect firing range of the _Vengeance_.

"Sir, we're just about to enter the effective range of our turbolasers," the weapons-control officer said, the Mon Calamari equivalent of an earpiece being held closely to his head. Even now, the Imperial bombardment had gotten heavier, their shots beginning to bang out small chunks in the shields of the Mon Calamari cruiser.

"Concentrate firepower upon that Victory!" Hallos ordered, his webbed fingers wobbling as they sliced through the air, emphasizing the fact that _Iron Fist_ had to be disabled. "Order Blue Squadron to finish up those bombers as quickly as possible and then target that ship!"

"Yessir!" two officers said at the same time, each focusing on their own unique tasks.

Hallos offset eyes narrowed slightly as he overlooked the battle scene ahead of him. He would survive this engagement, as would his crew. And if they didn't, they would take out at least one of those ships.

* * *

"I copy, Flight Control," Keyan Farlander voiced in to his superiors aboard the besieged vessel that he flew around. The bomber in his sights continued to juke and jink randomly, making it extremely difficult to get a laser lock upon the ship. A brief thought entered his mind to quickly switch his firing systems to torpedoes, a tactic that would easily get rid of the bomber that threatened to end the lives of crew aboard the _Independence_, but reason quickly brought him back to his senses. He had just received the order to finish those bombers off quickly and then engage the nearest _Victory_-class Star Destroyer. He knew, from experience, how tough a Star Destroyer was to kill from behind the flight stick of a snubfighter. He would need all of the torpedoes that he could get.

Keyan did his best to push away all of the external stimuli that attempted to disrupt his focus, and soon found himself successful. The bomber skidded starboard, a movement that Keyan didn't follow. He instead remained on his regular course. He squeezed the trigger on his flight stick, and then watched as the bomber veered into the course of the four fire-linked blasts. The bomb bay erupted as the unused ordinance stored within it ignited, vaporizing almost the entirety of the vessel. With only a few tell-tale pings against his shield, Keyan's X-wing easily emerged from the rapidly expanding explosion.

"Two, this is Leader," Keyan reported, opening up his comm channel to the entire rebel fleet. "I think that was the last of them, can you confirm?"

"I copy, Blue Leader," Blue Two replied after checking his sensor board. "No more bombers."

"Head for our next objective then, Blue Squadron," Keyan ordered, not wanting to give away the order to engage the _Victory_-class Star Destroyer identified as _Iron Fist_ to any prying ears. "I hate Star Destroyer runs…" he mumbled after switching off his link with the rest of the fleet. Now only Blue Squadron and the flight control officers aboard the only rebel capital ship in the sector could hear him.

The X-wing squadron flew high, at least a kilometer above the massive turbolaser shots that flew from the Imperial Star Destroyer and the Mon Calamari cruiser. TIE fighters spiraled around the X-wings, firing their green laser cannons towards the rebel starfighters as they passed each other.

"We have to leave you now," a member of the flanking squadron spoke to Blue Squadron as she took out another TIE that had gotten a little too close to her charges. "May the Force be with you."

_I certainly hope it is,_ Keyan thought as he watched a precisely aimed shot hit the shields of his target.

* * *

The sound of her footsteps echoed throughout the halls as Mara Jade neared the Emperor's study. The building that she was walking in was a relatively new addition to the Empire: a private retreat on the Emperor's homeworld of Naboo. The circular building was in a very heavily guarded section of the capital city of Theed; a section that had been under martial law since the uprising and subsequent suppression of Queen Apailana's revolt a little under twenty years previously.

The past month had been excruciating for the young Emperor's Hand, being shuttled back and forth from one boringly routine observation missions and a few weeks were spent in the headquarters of Imperial Intelligence simply studying helmet cam footage captured by various dead Stormtroopers. It was punishment for failing to even seriously harm or maim the two Jedi trainees that she had fought on Talay, and that punishment was finally over.

"What is your bidding, my liege?" she asked as she entered the room, slightly bowing before the Sith sitting in a simple throne.

"I have another assignment for you," Palpatine said, his usually sinister voice having even more of an edge upon it. "You are to continue your observations of Lord Vader. Watch him diligently, and inform me of any strange occurrences."

"You believe him to be turning traitor still?" Mara asked, seeking only to confirm her suspicions.

"Yes," the Emperor replied, tapping his claw-like fingers against the throne. "I suggest you begin your investigation on Vjun—the location of one of Lord Vader's private fortresses. I would suggest caution, however. It is extremely unlikely that he will just let you walk in."

"I understand, Master," Mara replied. "Where is Lord Vader, if I may ask?"

"He is aboard the _Executor_, orbiting the planet Dantooine at the moment."

"I shall not disappoint this time, my lord," Mara replied, bowing once again before turning to leave the throne room.

* * *

"Our shields are down!" Keyan panicked as he watched the protective ring around the _Independence_ disappear as a salvo of fire from the Imperial Star Destroyer hit it. The Mon Calamari vessel, now taking broadsides from two of the Star Destroyers—which were nearly stacked on top of one another—struggled to stay alive as the assault continued. Turbolaser shots punched through the reinforced hull, sending debris and any surviving pieces of furniture or cargo out into the vacuum of space. Thankfully, Keyan was unable to see or sense any sentient life that had been ended by the first salvo on the unprotected ship.

He turned his X-wing tightly to port as a TIE fighter headed towards the vessel, temporarily breaking orders as he pursued the Imperial fighter. A sinking feeling in his gut alerted him that this fighter needed to be taken care of, and he went through with it. Thankfully, rebel command had recently decided to be slightly more lenient on cases like this when it came to Force-sensitives, one of the more recent reactions to the rebirth of the Jedi Order.

The TIE fighter skimmed the hull of the rebel capital ship, firing green bolts of energy randomly into it, opening up small holes where atmosphere leaked out. Keyan followed diligently, easily evading the flying debris as it threatened to hit him. A quad-linked burst from his laser cannons missed the juking craft, inadvertently damaging the ship that Keyan sought to protect.

_Be calm, _Keyan felt as he continued to chase the blue-gray fighter along the structure of the _Independence_his X-wing maneuvering every which way to avoid crashing into it. The Jedi closed his eyes once again and let the Force take over. It was then he learned why the Force had urged him to chase after that fighter to begin with: that pilot was good, probably one or two missions short of being able to qualify for a transfer to an interceptor squadron. There was little doubt that this pilot was making an attack run upon the bridge of the vessel, and that without Keyan's interference, he just might succeed.

_Fire now!_ Keyan felt once again, his fingers barely even moving of his own accord as they squeezed the trigger. The quad blast hit the TIE fighter as it rose to avoid one of the ovoid extensions of the Mon Calamari battle ship, sending the flaming and dying vessel flying safely away from an inadvertent kamikaze run. Satisfied that the ship was safe for the time being, Keyan quickly returned to battle against the Star Destroyers.

With the flick of a switch on his flight stick, Keyan quickly switched to torpedoes as _Iron Fist_ loomed out towards him. "ForKay, try to get a lock on the command bridge," Keyan ordered his astromech droid, who promptly hooted a response that more than likely meant that the orange-striped R3 droid was working on it. "Blue Squadron, report in," Keyan ordered as he noticed that none of his wingmates were following him.

Nine of the eleven other pilots reported in, but of them only six were capable of joining their leader on the attack run, having been forced to eject due to the constant pressure from the enemy fighters. "We're locked onto the command bridge as well, Commander," one of the survivors—a female Duros—reported in, relaying the information her R5 unit had just given her.

"Launch on my mark," Keyan ordered as the remnants of Blue Squadron finally managed to form up once again. TIE fighters screamed around them, trying to prevent the rebel squadron from their attempt to destroy their carrier. A few Y-wings and one or two of the new A-wings could be seen as they engaged the TIEs, trying to protect one of the _Independence_'s last hopes for survival as they approached their target.

"Fire," Keyan ordered as he reached the optimum distance, letting loose two of the six proton torpedoes stored in the two magazines on the underside of his X-wing. They were followed by ten more torpedoes, each trailing blue fire as they raced towards the _Victory_-class Star Destroyer.

The first few torpedoes exploded against the already weakened shields of _Iron Fist_, fire blossoming outwards of the interior of the shields for a few seconds before they fell entirely. The remaining four torps headed towards the command deck of the ship, exploding along various points.

* * *

"We're leaking atmosphere!" Captain Zsinj could hear one of his subordinates yell through the ringing in his ears. The explosion of two proton torpedoes just meters below the bridge had severely damaged the ship that commanded, and even now oxygen was slowly leaking out of the ship.

"Abandon the bridge!" Zsinj ordered his crew, who quickly raced out of their crewpits and headed towards the safety of the innards of the ship. "Make sure we won't crash into the planet," he added, forcing a frightened helm officer to stay in position for a few more seconds as his commanding officer fled to safety.

The helmsman's fingers quickly skirted over the console in front of him, his digits slick with sweat and the air around him getting increasingly thin as the air continued to leak out of the ship. A few errant strikes forced him to abandon the new coordinates several times as his mistakes could have proved costly.

A slight cracking noise alerted him that his time was nearing an end as an errant piece of debris pierced the main viewport of the Star Destroyer. His panic brought on a slight adrenaline rush as he struggled to do his final duty. The capital ship seemed to turn even slower than the officer thought it could as its engines flared to life, carrying it away from the other ships in the Imperial fleet.

Satisfied that his job was done, the Imperial officer quickly said a prayer to the patron deity of his religion before bolting towards the door. It must have worked, because as soon as he reached safety, the viewport shattered.

_

* * *

Thank the Force that's gone, Admiral Hallos thought as his flipper-like fingers dug into his command chair. Yet their shields were down and there was still another Star Destroyer firing upon them, each shot taking out chunks of the vessel in which he captained. Damage reports streamed in, but he didn't wish to see them. It would only be a matter of time before the gunners on the Imperial ship would hit something vital._

"Sir, we've just lost our engines," an officer reported, his voice finally betraying his resignation.

"Fill and launch escape pods," Hallos ordered as the _Vengeance_ continued to rain death upon the Mon Calamari vessel. "And get me the captain of that Star Destroyer," he added, hoping that he could stall for enough time to a majority of his crew to escape.

"Lord—Jerec," he courteously said to the Dark Jedi commander of the ship that had disabled his own. "I must admit that it was a good battle."

"Spare me the pleasantries, rebel scum," the Miraluka replied, "give me sufficient reason why I shouldn't destroy you're pathetic attempt at a capital ship right now. I assume that there are very important rebels onboard that would make very nice peace offerings; a gift that would make your death quick."

"Yes sir, we do," Hallos added, silently hoping that he wouldn't accidentally give away Keyan Farlander's presence in one of the many X-wings that flew lazily around the _Independence_. "Some very important VIPs."

Jerec remained silent, but Hallos could feel a heavy weight press into his chest as the Dark Jedi begin probing him. The pressure in his chest moved towards his mind, a splitting headache beginning to form as information was starting to be ripped from his brain.

"Destroy them!" he heard Jerec yell before the turbolaser battery pounded the command bridge into slag.

* * *

Keyan watched from the canopy of his X-wing as the escape pods quickly jettisoned from the dying ship that had served as his home for several years. He didn't have much time to worry about friends—or Lynia—before the shooting began once again. TIEs swarmed towards the escape pods, attempting to make sure that nobody made it off of the ship alive.

He quickly kicked his throttle into attack speed and headed to save as many people as he could, the rest of Blue Squadron following closely behind. It was odd, Keyan thought as he vaporized a TIE fighter, that the escape pod that he was currently escorting was the one that contained the woman that he loved. An extremely brief thought entered his mind: the perfect way to make sure that those he cared about would be perfectly safe from the Empire, a way in which his Force powers could be amplified. Anger. Fear. Hatred. He could use all three of those basic emotions and easily save them. He could bring destruction to the Empire.

That train of thought stopped almost as soon as it began. Keyan had been down that dark path before, a path that had began when an Imperial orbital bombardment had killed most of his family and seriously wounded his sister. Thankfully that philosophy had ended months before the Battle of Yavin.

It was minutes later when a well-aimed shot managed to pierce the shields of his X-wing after it had broken the atmosphere of the planet that had proved so detrimental to their escape. The _Independence_ was gone, what was once a great ship reduced to a large of amount of metallic debris that would eventually burn up as it entered the atmosphere. A few escape pods littered the ground, their stunned occupants frantically racing towards the nearest settlement on the marginally occupied planet. The Imperials weren't far behind.


	30. Chapter 31

Chapter 31 

Mara Jade had never been in the interior of Darth Vader's private residence of Bast Castle before, and the experience was almost breathtaking. The place was befitting of the armored Sith enforcer that made frequent residence here when he wasn't on Coruscant: the hangar in which she landed in was partially filled with starfighters of various design and in various condition, tool boxes containing all of the parts and tools necessary to work on those craft were strewn about on tables, and two or three GONK power droids wandered aimlessly around, as did a black-domed R2 unit.

Her steps echoed against the hangar floor as she walked towards the nearest workbenches, filling the otherwise soundless bay. She silently examined the tools for a second, noting their locations and the amount of wear-and-tear exhibited on them. She mentally shrugged as she continued towards the more interior portions of the castle. All of this fascination with mechanical equipment and repairing thing was a way that Vader could still hold on to his previous life, her master had said.

She eventually reached what appeared to be a training room. It was, however, in horrible shape. Burn marks and deep scars from lightsabers made their way around the four metallic columns that were placed in the center of the room, and a large area of an outer wall had been reduced to slag within the past year. How, she couldn't guess.

Mara approached the opposite door, wary of any possible traps that could be sprung from within this room. Seeing it locked, Mara silently removed a slicing tool from the supply bag that she was carrying. It was then that she went to work.

"Master, she has arrived," the other red-haired, green-eyed Emperor's Hand in the castle said as she watched her rival begin her attempts to unlock the door that led out of the training room.

"Excellent work," Darth Vader answered, his normally black armor being turned into a dark blue due to the holographic representation of him appearing in the control room. His normally imposing figure reduced to ¼ of his actual height. "Do not engage her on your own, agent Brie," he ordered. "Make sure, however, that her prying eyes do not set sight upon their target."

"You don't have to worry about that," Shira Brie said as she moved her chair towards a computer console. "She's in the lightsaber training room as we speak…"

"Something's wrong with this," Mara whispered as the second straight ACCESS DENIED message scrolled across the slicing tool. "The machine or the situation," she amended her original complaint as she began to feel the trickle of uneasiness wash over her. Her danger sense flared momentarily, forcing her to quickly drop the tool. Her now free right hand reached for her lightsaber, quickly pulling it free from her belt.

The sound of a metal panel sliding open hit her ears. Then the echoes of metal feet stepping on metal floor filled the room. Two separate snap-hisses sounded as Mara's two opponents ignited their own lightsabers.

_Training droids_, Mara thought as she ignited her own lightsaber, the purple glow it emitted illuminated a small 2-meter area around her and casting a slightly purple glow upon its wielder. She closed her eyes, letting the Force amplify her already ample dexterity. Her lightsaber felt lighter now, her movements quicker and her senses were also enhanced.

She could sense the two droids now, even though the four columns hid them at the moment. She brought her lightsaber up, protecting her midsection from the fight that was about to ensue. The two droids—each of them displaying considerable signs of being repaired from several other training sessions—slowly advanced towards their programmed target. The yellow-bladed lightsabers built into their wrists hummed in anticipation as each of them readied themselves to kill the intruder. The first droid moved in quickly, sending its lightsaber towards the Emperor's Hand in a horizontal lunge that Mara easily twisted aside to avoid. The smell of cloth burning hit her nostrils as the enemy lightsaber temporarily ignited her cloak, forcing Mara to quickly press her back against the wall to smolder the flames. Using this to their advantage, the two droids pressed their attack.

Mara deflected the two quick strikes that came next before leaping over the two attackers. As soon as her feet hit the ground, however, she was forced to quickly jump backwards as the other lightsaber-wielding droid spun towards her, its weapon blazing. She sent an almost lightning quick diagonal slash towards the most scarred droid, only to have it blocked in an almost equally quick parry.

She spun to her left as the other droid lunged towards her, hearing the sound of lightsaber contacting metal once again as it hit the column that she had been backed up against. The yellow blade encountered resistance for a second before finally punching through the column, trapping the droid temporarily. She was unable to press her advantage, however, as the other droid spun its blade towards her.

"How is she faring, Agent Brie?" Darth Vader's dark voice said again in the otherwise silent control room.

"It seems as if she might survive," Shira Brie replied as she watched Mara Jade sever the weapon arm of one of the droids. It had been two long minutes since the battle began and, unfortunately, Mara Jade seemed to be gaining the upper hand.

As Mara adeptly decapitated the all but disabled droid, a sinking feeling began to form in Shira's stomach. She knew that Vader was going to ask her to fight Mara Jade. Even though she gripped the lightsaber in her hand—one that she had gotten from a display box labeled simply as "Solusar"—she knew that she would have no chance. Her lightsaber training under the tutelage of both Vader and Palpatine had barely begun, and she also knew that a lightsaber would never suit the fighting style that lurked inside of her. She would require something different; something that she had seen in an old Holocron that dated back to the New Sith Wars…

"If she does, begin deleting all of my personal files and retreat from Bast Castle," Vader replied, setting her mind at ease temporarily.

"Yes, Lord Vader," she simply stated, putting the lightsaber down and beginning to pull up a security program on the computer console in front of her.

It was now one against one, and although Mara had evened the numbers, fatigue had begun to creep into her body. She continued to bat away the lightsaber strikes that streaked towards her, constantly on the defensive. Her usual brand of lightsaber combat—one that was mixed with various forms of hand-to-hand based martial arts—was virtually useless against the metallic body of the droid she fought, putting her at a slight disadvantage. Her agility, however, was still very usable against her metallic opponent, and she used it.

She twisted to her left to evade a downward slice, and easily followed through with a slash that opened a slight wound in the "belly" of the droid. Hydraulic fluid sprayed out of the wound as if it were blood, a small amount landing on Mara Jade's clothing. Its programming firing into an approximation of rage, the training droid charged towards the Emperor's Hand, lightsaber swinging almost randomly. Mara made a quick leap back, blocking the swings as she went. Another opening presented itself, and soon the purple blade of her lightsaber sliced through the right leg of the droid. A simple downward thrust into the photoreceptor of the droid ended its usefulness.

Gasping to regain control of her breath, Mara moved her lightsaber into a guarding position. There she stayed, ears and eyes open for another attack. Satisfied that a secondary attack wouldn't come, she closed her lightsaber and went back to work on trying to open the door. It took her a minute to open the door now that the interference from Shira had stopped.

She continued to walk through the deserted castle, her lightsaber constantly in her hand, wary of any potential dangers that could lurk ahead of her. It took her ten minutes to reach Vader's private chambers; ten minutes that have allowed Shira enough time to delete every private record that the Dark Lord had ever made. Mara quickly removed a datapad, sensing that something wasn't completely right with her situation. Someone was obviously trying to stop her from completing her task—that much was obvious from the lightsaber-wielding droids—but she felt that she needed to access those files as soon possible.

Her feeling was confirmed less than a minute later when she discovered that the very files that she was downloading were also being deleted from the records. She started downloading from the most recent entry; one recorded a few days after the Imperial victory at Yavin 4.

She was halfway through the download process when she was detected. Knowing that every second wasted meant that another part of Vader's plan would be unknown to Palpatine, she hastened her work. Twenty seconds later, only 40 of the original document remained. It was later, when she was on her way back to Coruscant when she learned of the importance of that document. Palpatine would be immensely shocked by what had been found… And her own shock could barely be contained.


	31. Chapter 32

Chapter 32 

Even with its small rockets firing precisely, the ejection seat was still falling too fast for the occupant to survive without suffering a major injury. It was also entirely possible for death to occur. The unfortunate pilot in that ejection seat that was hurtling towards the ground was Keyan Farlander, a rebel ace and a member of the resurrected Jedi Order. The wind beat against the portions of his face not covered by his helmet, the magnetic field surrounding him providing him with breathable air, but still letting the cold air through.

Knowing his predicament, Keyan did his best to focus despite the tremendous forces working against him. Master Kenobi had taught his students the basis of controlling one's own fall, it was a simple use of telekinesis that applied to the person performing the task. He began his attempt, failing almost immediately as a sharp updraft of wind hit him in the face, easily breaking his concentration.

He closed his eyes, not wanting to inadvertently see the ground—which was almost certainly getting more detailed every second that he remained falling—and trigger a wave of fear and panic that would lead to him once again using the Dark Side. He focused upon what he needed to do and, with no panic and no fear, did it. With his ejection seat being just over a hundred meters from the ground, the Force intervened and began to slow the seat down enough for a safe landing to transpire.

As the ejection seat came to rest on the ground, Keyan quickly went to work on escaping the immediate area. He was pretty sure that some of the TIE fighters that had chased him and the escape pod into the atmosphere of the planet he was on had seen his landing location. He pulled the helmet off of his head and threw it aside, sure that it wouldn't come in handy later, and jogged to the back of the seat. From there, he quickly pulled out his personalized survival pack. In addition to the standard supplies found in an Alliance issue pack: a blaster pistol, two extra energy cells, a week's worth of horrible tasting field rations, a small canteen filled with water, a water filter, a glowrod and a small medpack; this contained an additional energy cell and a small field comlink.

He swiftly threw the survival pack onto his back, tightening the shoulder straps to accommodate his flight suit, but not before removing the blaster pistol and the energy cells and placing them into the holster on his belt. The pistol—as well as the lightsaber that hung on the opposite side of it—would more than likely come in extremely handy on his way to the landed escape craft that he had seen landing on his way down.

Yet he had another problem to deal with. While using the Force to slow down the ejection seat had saved him from suffering injury, that feat combined with the Force-enhanced escapades that he had pulled off during the dogfight above the planet had left him fatigued. He had to let loose a slight chuckle at that fact, as fatigue from overusing the Force was what caused him to eject during the Battle of Yavin 4. Then, with a sigh, he sat out walking.

Hiding inside one of the caves that littered the surface in which her escape pod had landed, Lynia Delline sat next to the small fire that served as both heat and light. She let the heat spread from the flames to her body, feeling them obliterate the chill in the air that surrounded the hilly regions. Other survivors—about 25 in total—crammed into the medium sized hole in a hill and attempted to keep warm around one of the three small fires lit. Dusk had just began to set in, and the chill was beginning to become worse as the temperature dropped to five degrees. _It least it isn't freezing _yet, she thought as the majority of the group began to prepare for the long walk to the nearest town.

Not everyone in the cave was leaving, however. Calena Verost, the 24 year-old Coruscanti Executive Officer of Blue Squadron, was staying inside of the cave to guard her husband, a security guard aboard the _Independence_ who had been injured during the evacuation. She was also staying behind for the other member of the group that couldn't be moved, a Gotal pilot from another squadron that had crashed nearby. They were pessimistic, however, about Keyan's survival. They had said that no one could have survived what had happened, although they did concede that they had never seen that happen to a Jedi before. That had filled her with a little bit of hope.

"All right, everyone. Grab your blankets, we're moving out," the second in command—a lieutenant from another squadron aboard the now destroyer ship—said as the sun finally fell behind the plains. Fortune was also by the side of the rebels, as the both of the moons that orbited the planet weren't full.

Thankful that his flight suit helped protect him from extreme temperatures, Keyan continued walking as the sun sat behind him and temperatures dropped dangerously close to freezing. Growing thirsty as he traversed the approximately four kilometers that remained of the plains before they met the beginnings of a mountain range, he took a carefully rationed sip out of his water supply before returning the container back to his backpack. He rubbed his eyes, trying to get the tiredness out of them. He had started walking about an hour or two before dusk had set behind him and, judging by the position of the two moons in the sky, it was already about midnight. Although he didn't have a chronometer on him or any real idea about how fast the planet rotated on its axis, he could reasonably guess that he had about five more hours of travel before the sun would rise again.

At least, barring any major occurrences, he would more than likely make the mountains well before day broke.

"What is this news you bring me?" Emperor Palpatine's raspy voice cut through the darkness of his throne room on Coruscant.

"I have found something…_disturbing_…during my mission to Bast Castle, my lord," Mara Jade began her rehearsed speech that she had prepared during the flight back from Vjun. "It was the most recent entry to Lord Vader's personal log. Parts of it are missing—there was someone else there who was deleting the file while I was downloading it—but the majority that counts is still intact," she added, relating to the Emperor a brief version of her difficulties on the planet.

"Play the message," Palpatine ordered, slightly anxious to see what his apprentice had been hiding.

"Yes, my lord," Mara stated as she pulled a round object out of her robe. She thumbed a button on the side, causing the device to play.

The first few seconds of the audio only recording were filled only with the sounds of Darth Vader's chilling breathing as it seemingly kept time for some unheard musician. More than likely, Mara thought, Vader was trying to find someway to actually say what he was about to say.

"I have recently found out," Vader's voice said through the recording, "that the young rebel that destroyed the…my son." The missing section that presumably said DEATH STAR IS was completely garbled, corrupted while being deleted by the other agent working against her inside of Bast Castle. She had decided to not reveal this information until the end of the recording, it would help her by giving herself more time to think of possible solutions. "…possible," Vader's voice continued, trying to ponder about what he had just learned at the time of the recording.

"I have to wonder if the entire story that my Master told me about the death of my w—Padmé—was truly the entire truth. I feel that I must investigate this matter further, but I feel that I must keep this suspicion a secret for the time being."

Palpatine sat in his throne, listening to every word that the journal entry of Darth Vader said, even trying to find out the hidden words that were drowned out by the corruption in the file. He had secretly feared that this day would come, when Vader would finally find out or even suspect the truth of Padmé Amidala's death. It had the possibility of reawakening Anakin Skywalker, and even though most of his Force potential had been diminished by the events that happened on Mustafar, Sidious still feared what Anakin could do. And even though he hadn't heard about this child of Vader's until today, he feared what the young man could do. If he was only half as powerful as Anakin had the capability to be…

Killing him was the first thing that sprang to Palpatine's mind. He had to get rid of this threat against his Empire, and that seemed to be the only option at the moment. This young child that looked strikingly like Anakin would end it all.

Wait… Sidious smiled underneath the hood of his dark cloak. It was true that the son of Skywalker could be a threat to him, but wasn't Anakin a threat at one time? Could it be possible that he be turned to the dark side?

_Yes_, Palpatine thought as he paused to consider every single possibility that this new information brought with it. _This could be extremely fortunate… I must consult the Holocron._


	32. Chapter 33

Chapter 33 

"Have I mentioned how much I don't like this plan?" Han Solo asked as the decades-old _Consular_-class space cruiser that he was piloting emerged from hyperspace.

"About twenty times today," Princess Leia quickly replied, weary of hearing the smuggler-turned-rebel complain. First it had been about the mission: an undercover rescue mission to recover the survivors of the now destroyed _Independence_. Then the complaining had moved on to the ship. It wasn't the _Falcon_, and that had seemed to put Han slightly on edge.

"I can't help it. I got a bad…"

" 'Feeling about this.' We know," Leia interrupted. "Let's just hope that someone got out of that ship with his or her life intact," she added.

"Same here, Princess," Han replied as he saw the Imperial Star Destroyer looming in the background, the backdrop of the planet silhouetting it. _Hopefully we will, too_, he added.

"Just remember the bluff and we should be fine," Leia reminded him, adjusting the blonde wig on her head.

"I'm not the one fiddling with my disguise," Han replied, lifting the black patch over his eye. Chewbacca roared something about how the humans at least had disguises, and then complained about having to masquerade as a slave again. "I hear you, Chewie," Han replied as he checked the computer readouts in front of him. "But it beats them finding out who we _really_ are."

"Especially with Keyan and Kyle missing," Leia added, referring to the two Jedi that had just recently gone missing. One of them had been among the many other Alliance personnel that had been stationed on the _Independence_ when it had been destroyed. The other had last been seen on Nar Shaddaa, the moon of Nal Hutta that was well known for its smuggler history.

"Yeah, that would thin the Jedi ranks considerably," Han replied. "Not counting the old guys, of course."

They're hailing us, Chewbacca announced, forcing both of the human rebels to snap to attention.

"Get Threepio in here and then put them on," Han replied.

A few seconds later, a very tattered-looking C-3PO walked onto the bridge of the spacecraft. A portion of his once golden paneling had been stripped away, leaving the internal parts showing. What paneling remained was extremely scuffed and dented, barely even capable of reflecting even the brightest light. It had been an "upgrade" that had barely been applied due to the stuffy protocol droids countless complaints. It had taken Leia to promise the droid all new paneling and a software upgrade that would push his six million communication forms known to closer to seven to get him to volunteer.

With the protocol droid in place, Chewbacca leaned forward in his seat and opened up a channel between the two ships.

"Unidentified Corellian vessel," an Imperial officer said as his image appeared on a viewscreen in front of the pilots' chairs, "please identify yourselves and state your purpose in the system."

"Wasn't like this two weeks ago," Han replied, easily slipping into the persona of his disguise.

"No stalling!" the officer reported.

"Fine, if that's the way you want to do this," Han answered, the last few words trailing off. "This is the _Consular_-class vessel _Renasance_. We're licensed out of Brentaal IV, registry number…"

Leia watched as Han continued to bluff his way onto the planet, her own concentration fixed on attempting a Force trick. She had learned from Master Vos a skill that would come in extremely handy during this mission; a way to mask one's presence in the Force. It was a pity, she thought as the Imperial officer let them pass, that Keyan had been shipped out before the other Jedi had been brought aboard.

Chewbacca growled something in his native language, a series of barks and growls that Leia hadn't learned to translate. During her time in the Imperial Senate, the Wookiees had been an enslaved species, their Senator Yarua arrested and sent away to a "prison camp." From her experiences with Chewbacca's and Han's retelling of the Wookiee copilot's history, she could easily imagine that the once proud senator had been enslaved along with the rest of his race. With Kashyyyk being represented by a human "protectorate," the use for a junior senator to learn the language of the Wookiees was almost nonexistent

"You're right, Chewie," Han replied before translating the phrase for Leia. "We were certainly lucky to get past that ship."

"Sithspit, they're coming!" Keyan Farlander exclaimed through clenched teeth as he ducked into an alleyway inside of the capital city on the planet. The "they" that he referred to was a squad of Stormtroopers doing one of the many searches for the hidden rebels that had become routine in the past week.

"What are we going to do?" Lynia asked in hushed tones. "We can't let them detain us."

Keyan quickly looked across the alley for anything that could help them get by the Stormtroopers that were closing in on them. Seeing inspiration laying a few meters away, Keyan quickly whispered his plan to Lynia and hoped that his mind tricks were up to par.

"I can't believe that I find you here!" Lynia exclaimed a few seconds later, making sure that the Stormtroopers could hear her. She forcefully shoved Keyan into the wall, the normally well-balanced Jedi going limp as he hit the wall. He hit the ground with a thud, dropping the empty bottle of alcohol that he had quickly grabbed to help with the bluff.

Lynia continued her verbal assault as the Stormtroopers rounded the corner, berating Keyan for running off and spending too much time at cantinas. The Stormtroopers stared at the scene for a while, their helmet-enhanced sense of smell picking up faint traces of alcohol coming from the man sitting in a drunken stupor and speaking in a heavy Agamarian accent.

"What's going on here?" the leader of the Stormtroopers said as he stepped forward.

"He's drunk again!" Lynia exclaimed, lightly kicking Keyan in leg. The scent of alcohol vanished for a second as the seemingly drunken Agamarian held his hurting leg before returning almost two-fold. "And he didn't come home!"

The Stormtroopers watched in amazement as the half-alien mutt continued to berate the human man on the ground, disgust washing over them. How could a human stoop this low?

"This is none of your concern," the Agamarian finally said in a surprisingly calm voice. "You will go about your business."

The lead Stormtrooper paused for a moment, considering everything that had just transpired. "What do you mean it's none of our business?" he finally said. "You're creating a disturbance, and you're intoxicated in public!" The head Stormtrooper took a step towards the two. "You're under arrest."

Keyan's mind screamed as he tried to figure out some type of backup plan as two of the five Stormtroopers moved towards him. Lynia had backed away slightly, still desperately trying to keep their bluff alive. The two Stormtroopers easily picked Keyan up and began to move him out of the alley. Certain that the time was right, he began to fight back.

He quickly placed one of his feet—which had been dragging behind him—in front of one of the Stormtroopers carrying him away, tripping that Imperial soldier and bringing the other down as the three men fell. Keyan heard the sound of an E-11 blaster rifle skittering across the ground and reached towards it with the Force. The blaster rifle easily flew through the air and finally came to rest in his palm. He quickly aimed towards the two Stormtroopers that had remained in front of him and squeezed off two shots in their direction. Each of the shots dropped a trooper. He turned to the one chasing after Lynia and brought that trooper down as well.

A quick, Force-enhanced kick knocked out one of the troops that he had taken down with him, leaving only the one Stormtrooper that he had tripped at the beginning of this short fight. Unarmed, the single Stormtrooper raised his hands in surrender, only to be dropped a few seconds later by a stun shot.

"Let's get out of here," Keyan said as he offered a hand to Lynia, who had hit the ground as soon as the shooting had started. With four dead Stormtroopers and one stunned lying on the grounds of the alleyway, the two rebels retreated to their safehouse.

"We have their signal," Han Solo reported from behind a small computer sitting on his bed. He pressed a few keys on the device, locating the place where the pirate broadcast was originating from.

"Where?" Leia said, entering his motel room from the door that joined the two rooms. She crossed the small distance, barely missing the last half-meter of Chewbacca's feet as they hung from the Wookiee's bed.

Han pulled up the map on the screen, showing it to Princess Leia. "What's the Alliance code?" he asked. "Five kilometers northeast of the location?"

"It's more north than northeast," Leia replied, studying the map. "They should be right about here," she said as she pointed to a small business on the map.

"I'll go," Han volunteered. "We don't know if it's a trap or not."

This is the place, Chewbacca growled an hour later as he pulled up the rented landspeeder at the small warehouse that—according to Leia—housed the survivors of the _Independence_.

Han nodded in the backseat, patting his right leg to make sure that his trusty blaster pistol was still there. He looked around the area, using the skills that he had acquired during his career as a smuggler to help him judge the situation. "Let's go, Chewie," he finally said, prompting his friend to kill the engines on the vessel.

Both rebels had their weapons in their hands as they stepped towards the building. Dusk had just settled in, casting long shadows upon the roadside, and completely obscuring portions of the area. _Good place for a hideout_, Han commented as he scanned the area. _Or for an ambush._

"Hold it!" a voice called out from a shadow. "Identify yourselves!"

"Han Solo and Chewbacca," he replied, holding his gun above his head.

The person questioning them paused for a moment, a long enough period of time to cause Han Solo to get nervous. A brief thought that this was nothing more than an elaborate ambush entered his mind, causing him and Chewbacca to mentally prepare for a quick exit. The wait continued before finally ending as the familiar face of Keyan Farlander walking out from the shadows.

"Glad to see you're here, Captain Solo," the rebel pilot/Jedi replied. "Actually, it's good to see _anyone_ here," he corrected himself a second later.

"How many of you are left?" Han asked, holstering his blaster pistol while Chewbacca shouldered his bowcaster.

"About 50," Keyan reported. A number that low lowered Han's spirits. He had expected to hear a number of several hundred survivors, but fifty? That would mean that over 4,000 rebels hadn't survived… "Do we have a safe evacuation plan?"

"Yeah, run right through the Imperial Star Destroyer that's blockading this planet," Han replied. "Other than that, not much."

"One of the spy leaders here says that we need to watch out for the Captain of that Star Destroyer," Keyan said. "They say that he's a tactical genius."

"He can't be that bad," Han said, shrugging off the warning. "I've escaped lots of 'military geniuses' in my career."

"Shields are down to 45!" Leia exclaimed as the green turbolaser fire rained down towards the ship that carried many rebels.

" 'Can't be that bad!?'" Keyan questioned Han's earlier comment as he watched the older pilot try to get out of the system. Luckily, the _Falcon_ had been able to use the planet as a shield for the first few minutes as it raced to get out of the gravity well.

"Well we're not dead yet," Han replied. "Chewie, evasive action!" he shouted, trying to get out of the gravity well.

We have about a minute, Chewbacca growled as he pawed at the controls, spinning the Corellian-made craft to evade the green fire racing towards it.

"Whoever this guy is, he's good," Leia conceded from one of the other chairs in the room, the Alliance leader safely secured by her crash webbing. "Let's hope we don't meet up with him again."

"I don't think we're that lucky," Keyan replied.

"Hang on everyone," Han said as he was finally allowed to pull the lever in front of him, rocketing the _Falcon _into the relative safety of hyperspace.


	33. Chapter 34

Chapter 34 

Head swimming, Kyle Katarn finally regained consciousness. Through his scrambled brain, he tried to think of the last thing he could remember. The pieces came together slowly: _Moldy Crow_, Nar Shaddaa, some Hutt's private yacht catching the ship in a tractor beam, he and Jan frantically trying—and failing—to break the lock, big thugs with high-powered stun rifles storming the ship…

He then immediately began assessing his current situation. He was weaponless; the Bryar pistol that had been the last gift that his father had given him had been confiscated, as had the lightsaber that he had personally constructed. He was heavily restrained—both physically and mentally. He found concentrating on any means of using the Force to escape extremely difficult at the moment.

The screen in front of him flickered to life a few minutes after he regained consciousness. Kyle found himself staring into the soulless eyes of Jabba the Hutt. Kyle had run-ins with the Hutt before, dispatching numerous thugs on both Tatooine and just a while ago on Nar Shaddaa, but he hadn't seen the foul-looking crime boss before. Jabba was a typical Hutt: literally sluggish, fat and bloated. A short, stubby arm reached into a bowl that was off screen, coming back into view with a squirming invertebrate that was promptly stuffed into his mouth. Orange-yellow eyes that were probably the size of a human head glared at him.

So, the crime lord exclaimed in his own language, it appears as if I have captured someone extremely valuable. "Desertion, treason, murder of Imperial officers, several other bounties posted by the Imperials for all of the trouble you have caused them in the past year or two," Jabba quoted. Then of course comes the best bounty of them all. "Jedi Knight." I hear they still pay very good money for them, the corpulent gangster gloated.

It is a shame, however, that after all of the mess you have created that I have to turn you in, Jabba lamented, the phrase sounding even more menacing in Huttese. My pets are quite hungry at the moment…

Kyle thought of a snappy comeback along the lines of "You should have them eat _you_. They'd be full for months," before quickly deciding against it. He didn't know where Jan was—if she had survived—and angering the Hutt would only endanger her more. Right now, he had to figure out a way to escape from Jabba's custody. The first objective, however, was trying to get the remnants of the drugs out of his system. Then, he could plan the escape.

"Now that's a ship that definitely looks familiar," Obi-Wan Kenobi remarked as four of the "newest" Rebel starfighters were towed into the main hangar of Home One by pilots-in-training. The ships were a precursor to the X-wings that hauled them in a basic visual way, although they did share a common designer. Created by Incom and Subpro, a design combination that also created the Z-95 Headhunters that also shared hangar space, the ship measured in at about 14.5 meters from nose to engines, a full two meters longer than its descendent.

Like an X-wing, the ARC-170 sported S-foils, though no weapons brimmed from the device. It was their primary purpose to dispense the heat from the engines and provide stability in atmospheric flight.

Being found in a variety of places—from the far reaches of a solar system or two to junk yards in Outer Rim planets—the ancient Clone Wars fighters had the potential to be great weapons for the rebels to use. Or, if they were too damaged, the ships could easily be salvaged for parts. In particular, the rebels had been looking forward to using the three-being crewed vessel in some attacks when Y-wings were either unavailable, or not needed. One of those three crewmembers being a tail-gunner also added to their value.

"Too bad they couldn't get their hands on some of the Jedi starfighters," Luke remarked as he watched one of the ships—one whose landing gear had been shorn off by enemy fire—was placed in a magnetic holding field.

"How do you know about Jedi starfighters?" Obi-Wan asked, his eyebrows raising in amusement.

"Had a model of both versions in my room," Luke smiled. "I also had one of those," he said, gesturing to one of the ARC-170's.

"A model—no matter how detailed—is never a substitute to the real thing," Obi-Wan stated.

"It does when it have an information card," Luke added.

"But numbers do not tell the entire story," Obi-Wan replied, wanting to let Luke know that any ship in the hands of an experienced pilot could work much better than a highly technical ship in the hands of an inexperienced pilot.

"Is that the _Renasance_?" Luke asked, changing the subject as he squinted his eyes in the distance.

Obi-Wan Kenobi turned to look out of the blue MagCon field that keep the atmosphere generated by the life support systems of _Home One_ from leaking out into space. Coming into view was a battered looking Corellian-created cruiser of the same class as the ship that carried him and Qui-Gon many times in their careers. "I hope not," he said as he spotted the gaping hole where the communications dish on the aft of the vessel had been.

A few minutes later, the ship—trailing smoke out of its center engine—settled into one of the few empty spaces in the hangar bay. It didn't take long for the entrance ramp to descend and a majority of the fifty survivors of the _Independence_ rushed out of the cramped and banged up ship. Most of them were happy to finally be safe as they stood on the flight deck. Others simply slowly walked out of the ship, mourning loved ones and friends that hadn't made it.

"It was that bad, wasn't it?" Luke asked, seeing the miserable looks on the faces of the survivors.

"Worse, kid," Han Solo said as he stepped out of the ship, Leia following him. "This is all that's left. No other survivors."

"I had expected that we would have just picked up some of the more important survivors and then have a small fleet come in to get the others," Leia sighed.

"You saved as many as you could," Keyan Farlander reassured her. "Believe me, the rest of the pilots and I have played the entire battle back in our heads. All of us are trying to figure out what we could have done differently to save the ship."

"And what is your solution?" Obi-Wan asked, testing one of his pupils.

The Weequay guard entered the room where Kyle was kept prisoner, the injection syringe filled with the drug that had kept him sedated for hours. Now his mind was clear, and it was time for action. With a simple mental flick, the restraints around him quickly unlocked, freeing him. The Weequay guard looked dumbly at him, not having any idea how a prisoner could escape. He came to his senses a second later, quickly dropping the syringe and reaching for his sidearm. His hand never reached his blaster pistol. The Weequay guard soon lapsed into unconsciousness as his head violently hit the wall.

His single guard subdued, Kyle Katarn quickly relieved the knocked out guard of his blaster pistol and the two extra energy cells on his belt. As he did this, he mentally sketched a small list of objectives that he would have to complete before escaping. The first on that list was to rescue Jan. It wouldn't be long until Jabba or his guards would find out that he had escaped and he knew that both of them would be targets once they did. The second objective was to find out where their weapons were being stored. Escaping would be much easier if he had his lightsaber, Kyle thought. But all he had was a simple blaster pistol. He would have to make do.

It didn't take long after he left his temporary cell for Jabba's thugs to find out that he had escaped. Two Gamorrean guards grunted out in surprise as the human prisoner that they were supposed to be guarding burst out of the door. They leveled their vibroaxes towards him and steadily advanced, too stupid to call in for reinforcements. Kyle aimed towards the guard nearest him, firing his borrowed blaster pistol towards it. The first shot hit the guard in the chest, the thick hide of the porcine sentient managing to turn what would be a fatal blow on a "normal" being into a simple injury. Another shot finally brought the guard down, leaving only one remaining.

That single guard lunged towards Kyle, vibroaxe gleaming in the artificial lighting. The Jedi dodged a downward swing from the Gamorrean and slammed his fist into thick cheek of the guard. The creature barely moved as he was hit, making Kyle wonder if he had caused more damage to himself than to his opponent. The guard hit Kyle in the chest with the handle of his vibroaxe, nearly pushing the Jedi off of his feet. It was then that Kyle finally managed to get off two shots into the guard's head, killing him on the first shot.

He made his way through the ship, using the Force to both mask his presence as well as trying to find out where he needed to go. Firefights erupted a few times when his cover was blown.

"Thank the Force you showed up," Jan Ors replied as Kyle finally reached the room in which she was held. "I wasn't liking the way Jabba was looking at me."

"Good thing—for him—that he didn't get any ideas," Kyle replied. "I think that he wouldn't be feeling too happy if you got your hands on him."

"He'd be one fried slug," Jan agreed. "Do you have an extra weapon?"

"Here," Kyle offered, handing her a blaster pistol acquired from a dead guard. "It'll do until we get our normal weapons back. Any idea where they are?"

"You were the one wandering around the ship," Jan answered.

"This could be bad," he responded.

Jan was the first one out of the room, walking into the corridors of the space yacht. It didn't take long for Kyle's prediction to come true as several guards of various races rounded a corner. Without missing a beat, both rebels raised their blaster pistols and fired upon the group before sprinting down a side corridor.


	34. Chapter 35

Chapter 35 

Two TIE Interceptors screamed past the viewport of Emperor Palpatine's private _Lambda_-class shuttle, the normally bluish-gray hulls painted a scarlet that designated them as "property" of the Emperor's Royal Guard. Palpatine looked beyond the viewport from the passenger seat in the shuttle, his sickening yellow eyes studied the deceptive blue-green glow of his secret throne world.

A large shipyard orbited the planet, a half-completed monstrosity of a Star Destroyer sat in dry dock, a weapon that would be devastating against the Rebellion when it would be completed—an event that would unfortunately take several more years of construction.

"We're near the atmosphere, Your Majesty," the pilot informed him.

"Very good, pilot," Palpatine spoke, his mind still on the recent revelations. _So, Lord Vader has a son_, he thought as he secured himself into his crash restraints. Though the information had come to him a few days previously he still hadn't come up with a concrete plan. His initial reaction would be the total extermination of the Skywalker line, starting with Vader and ending with the unnamed child. He then saw the wisdom in keeping them alive, for the time being. The offspring of Anakin Skywalker would be immensely powerful ally, and one of the most powerful Sith in modern history—save for himself. Possibly of all time. He allowed a smile to break free and form on his face as his shuttle broke through the atmosphere.

It was about an hour later before Palpatine could return to his thoughts and plans on the situation. Landing on the Dark Side-infested world of Byss had led to many "pleasantries" that had to be attended to: the shipbuilders gave him a complete report on construction of both _Eclipses_ that were being developed, Lord Cronal reported on his most recent experiments in the art of alchemy, another scientist gave a report on the status of the clones that would allow Palpatine to completely cheat death—if the process of transferring his spirit into the bodies worked, that is. Now he walked through a landscape that only a Dark Lord could find comforting; the walls around him covered in Sith artifacts and artwork. A mural depicting a battle from the Great Hyperspace War sat next to an audio recording of the "Rim to Rim" show that had speculated about the rumored Sith Lord in the Galactic Senate.

He paused before a HoloNet News broadcast of his Declaration of the New Order, playing constantly on mute. He smiled as he remembered that day. It was then that the Sith had finally won. Their victory, however, would be all for naught if Skywalker's child was allowed to complete his or her training under Kenobi.

"My lord," the voice of an intruding Royal Guardsman—Jax if he remembered correctly—interrupted him. "The communications center has received a message from a 'Grand Admiral' Thrawn. He requests an immediate audience with you."

Kyle Katarn ducked behind whatever piece of cover he could find as enemy blaster fire poured into the hallway. A few meters behind him, Jan Ors was doing her best to take down as many as the enemy as she could from her cover as well. The enemies were a mixture of races—almost all of them on a race that stereotypically produced scoundrels. A Weequay ducked behind a wall as a Rodian unloaded E-11 blaster fire upon their mutual enemies. A Trandoshan snarled a curse in the lizardfolk's native tongue before letting loose on an Imperial-made T-21 light repeater. A Gamorrean guard charged down the hallway, unknowingly providing cover for his allies as the porcine being quickly became the targets of the two Rebel agents.

"I'm almost empty," Jan informed him as she checked the readout on her blaster. "How close are we to our weapons?" In the past few minutes, Kyle had guessed the location of their weapons after seeing a small schematic on their way through the space yacht.

"Close," Kyle muttered as he recognized one of the blaster pistols that was being wielded against them as being his own. "Very close." He fired towards the group, taking out the Trandoshan with a shot to the head.

"They're thinning out," Jan said as she brought down with a Rodian with a well-placed shot. "The rest must be at the _Crow_."

"At least there'll be less of them," Kyle replied as the last thug fell to the floor.

He walked towards the room where he believed their weapons to be, blaster pistol moving among the enemy corpses, making sure that they were really dead. He paused before the body of a Weequay before kneeling down and retrieving the blaster pistol that had been confiscated upon his capture. "I believe this is mine."

On some Mid Rim planet, shoppers went about their business unaware of what was about to happen to them. A middle-aged woman was in the process of collecting her change from an outdoor merchant when _something_ hit the heavy burlap overhang above her and the vendor. The human sized indention in the fabric released some curses in an unknown alien language before somehow beginning to roll off.

Off of the overhang rolled a very tired looking Korto Vos. He wore one of the black infiltration suits that the Alliance had recently made, minus the almost Stormtrooper-like helmet that was required on ship-to-ship boardings. "I'd run if I were you," the half-Kiffar remarked as he picked up a second wind and began racing down the street.

"What was that about?" the shopper said as the strange man vanished from her sight, not really expecting a practical answer.

"I have no…" the shopkeeper's reply was drowned out as a giant machine hit the pavement a little over a meter from his shop. Smoke flew from the rapidly cooling jetpack on the droid's back as it seemingly regained its senses from the long fall. It was about the size of an ordinary human, possibly a little larger, and was shaped relatively close to the shape of a Stormtrooper's armor. Very few non-Imperials that had seen one of its kind had lived to tell the tale. It was a member of the second phase of the Dark Trooper Project.

The body armor covering the battle droid was far from factory pristine, however. Long scorch marks caused by Korto's lightsaber marred several parts of the body, and carbon scoring from deflected blaster fire "decorated" it. The battle droid aimed its blaster cannon in the direction of the fleeing Jedi Knight and then pulled the trigger, unleashing a massive blast of energy.

Korto couldn't help but wince as the shot hit three meters behind him; shards of brick flying in every direction as a portion of a building exploded. The mission that he had been originally assigned to—stealthily enter an Imperial office building and retrieve info that would come in extremely handy in planning ambushes against Imperial shipping convoys—had quickly turned sour once he had ran into the buildings new security droid. If he hadn't been running/fighting for his life, he probably would have considered the whole deal a setup by Imperial Intelligence. They were getting especially bold these days. Now, however, his only concern was leaving this planet alive.

A few jetpack-assisted jumps from the Dark Trooper caused the mechanical soldier to quickly catch up with the young Jedi despite the Force-enhanced running that Korto was doing. He rolled to the right as the Dark Trooper landed in front of him, dodging the fire from the new weapon that the battle droid had upholstered. The repeating blaster pistol chattered as it fired, the blaster bolts harmlessly impacting on the ground as their target quickly moved out of the way. The snap-hiss of Korto's lightsaber igniting was almost drowned out by the blaster fire, but the orange light emanating from the blade let both combatants know that the fight was going to last far longer than the Dark Troopers computer "brain" wanted it to.

An agile leap above the droid's arm as it swing toward Korto landed the Jedi behind his nemesis. The lightsaber slashed along the back of the Trooper, the phrik alloy preventing the lightsaber from cutting deeply into the armor. A giant sized arm proved harder to dodge, however, and Korto was sent flying. The Jedi landed in a crouch, quickly raising his lightsaber to fend off the rapidly fired blasterfire. The redirected shots hit the battle droid in various places, yet the tough armor absorbed every one of them.

"How was one of you beaten before?" Korto asked aloud as the Dark Trooper continued to advance.

"Did you disable the tractor beams?" Jan Ors asked as Kyle entered the ship. "And what took so long?"

"Not yet," he answered as he took his seat.

She looked at him in surprise. After a major fight to get to the _Moldy Crow_, Kyle had been forced to find the control for the tractor beams that had initially captured them in the first place. "Not yet?!"

"Take off first," he said as he strapped himself into the crash webbing. "Trust me." For emphasis he held out a small detonator.

"I knew you were eyeing those explosives…" Jan remarked as she pulled her goggles over her eyes. "How bad is it going to be?"

"The ship is still going to be here, but I doubt that they'll be following us."

With a shudder, the _Moldy Crow_ lifted off of the secondary hangar and soared into space, a few guards that had chased Kyle from his location firing at the ship in a futile attempt to stop the two rebels from escaping. Once the heavily modified HWK-290 left the hangar, the defensive guns opened fire on the craft; fortunately hitting only the shields. Kyle's thumb hovered over the detonator, waiting for the exact moment to strike. Then it hit.

Explosives planted inside of several main compartments of the luxury yacht blew nearly simultaneously. The engines, the power reserve for the tractor beams, several ships in the hangars; all of them taken out by the explosion. After that, the escape was easy, leaving one angry Hutt seething as he watched his credits disappear into space. He had to tell General Mohc about this, and he knew exactly who to refer to him…


End file.
